Appeal 2007-3383
Application 10/452,939
38. A process for eliminating sulphur from a feed containing
hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide, carbon oxysulphide and/or carbon
sulphide and a minimal quantity of benzene, toluene and/or xylenes, said
process comprising:
introducing said feed into a reaction zone comprising two reactors in
series, each reactor containing a bed with a first catalyst, and recovering
elemental sulphur and an effluent that is at least partially free of sulphur,
wherein said first catalyst can be the same or different in each reactor
and is at least one catalyst containing a support comprising at least one
compound selected from the group consisting of alumina, titanium oxide and
zirconia, the support further comprising at least one doping element selected
from the group consisting or iron, cobalt, nickel, copper and vanadium,
each of said reactors further comprises a bed with a catalyst A which
is different from said first catalyst, and can be the same or different in each
reactor, wherein, in each reactor, said first catalyst is disposed upstream of
catalyst A and acts as a protective layer for said catalyst A, and
wherein said feed contains 50-50,000 volume ppm of benzene,
toluene and/or xylenes, and said feed contains 200 ppm or less of O2.
The Examiner relies on the following prior art references as evidence
of unpatentability:
Michel US 3,939,250 Feb. 17, 1976
Tellier US 4,192,857 Mar. 11, 1980
Voirin US 4,605,546 Aug. 12, 1986
Burmaster US 6,776,974 B1 Aug. 17, 2004
The rejections as presented by the Examiner are as follows:
1. Claims 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 13, 15-22, 28-31 and 34 are rejected under
35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable over Tellier in view of
Burmaster and Michel.
2. Claims 38, 40, and 42 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being
unpatentable over Tellier in view of Burmaster and Michel.
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