Patent ID: 7749481

Claim:
A method for removing hydrogen sulfide from a sour gas stream comprising hydrogen sulfide, the method comprising: oxidizing hydrogen sulfide in a converter by contacting the sour gas stream with an aqueous catalytic solution, thereby producing a desulfurized gas stream and a liquid stream comprising reduced catalyst and elemental sulfur; introducing an oxidant and the liquid stream comprising reduced catalyst and elemental sulfur into an external high shear device and producing a dispersion wherein the mean bubble diameter of the oxidant gas in the dispersion is less than about 5 μm; introducing the dispersion into a vessel from which a sulfur-containing slurry is removed and a regenerated catalyst stream is removed, wherein the sulfur slurry comprises elemental sulfur and aqueous solution; and recycling at least a portion of the regenerated catalyst stream to the converter, wherein the external high shear device is external to the converter and to the vessel.