Desulfurization of hot gas with cerium oxide

摘要

A gas containing oxygen, H.sub.2 S and sulfur oxides is desulfurized by contacting same with cerium oxide at a temperature of from about 350. degree.-600° C. This invention is particularly useful for desulfurizing tail gas from a Claus plant. In a preferred embodiment the cerium oxide is supported on alumina and oxygen is present in the gas in an amount more than that stoichiometrically required to convert the H. sub. 2 S and SO.sub.2 to cerium oxysulfate.