Patent ID: 8444943

Claim:
A process for recovering sulfur from an acid gas comprising hydrogen sulfide, said method comprising: contacting said acid gas with a partially-loaded sulfur absorbing solvent in an acid gas enrichment zone to thereby produce a hydrogen sulfide rich sulfur absorbing solvent and a hydrogen sulfide depleted off-gas, wherein said hydrogen sulfide depleted off-gas comprises hydrogen sulfide in an amount of at least 0.5 mole percent, wherein prior to said contacting, said partially-loaded sulfur absorbing solvent comprises hydrogen sulfide in an amount of at least 0.01 mole percent, and wherein said hydrogen sulfide depleted off-gas comprises carbonyl sulfide and one or more types of mercaptans in a combined concentration of at least 0.037 mole percent; and hydrogenating at least a portion of said hydrogen sulfide depleted off-gas thereby converting at least a portion of said mercaptans and/or said carbonyl sulfide in said hydrogen sulfide depleted off-gas to hydrogen sulfide.