The Claus process is the most significant gas desulfurizing

Desulfurisation

Desulfurisation is a chemical reaction involving the removal of sulfur from a molecule .An important industrial desulfurisation processes is also the hydro-desulfurization of natural gas...

 process, recovering elemental sulfur

Sulfur

Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...

 from gaseous hydrogen sulfide

Hydrogen sulfide

Hydrogen sulfide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless, very poisonous, flammable gas with the characteristic foul odor of expired eggs perceptible at concentrations as low as 0.00047 parts per million...

. First patented in 1883 by the scientist Carl Friedrich Claus, the Claus process has become the industry standard.

The multi-step Claus process recovers sulfur from the gaseous hydrogen sulfide found in raw natural gas

Natural gas

Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...

 and from the by-product gases containing hydrogen sulfide derived from refining crude oil and other industrial processes.