Process and composition for removal of arsenic and other contaminants from synthetic gas

1. A process for removing contaminants comprising one or more of arsenic and selenium from a synthetic gas feedstock comprising a sulfur compound wherein the synthetic gas feedstock comprises sulfur in an amount that ranges from 50 ppm to 3 vol. % based on the overall volume of the synthetic gas feed, in which the synthetic gas feedstock is contacted with a composition comprising an active material comprising one or more elements having an electronegativity from 1.6 to 2.0 on the Pauling scale, wherein at least a portion of the active material is a sulfide phase, and wherein arsenic and/or selenium at least partly replaces the sulfur of the sulfide phase.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the synthetic gas feedstock is contacted with the composition at a temperature range from about 150° C. to about 600° C.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the synthetic gas feedstock is contacted with the composition at a temperature range from about 180° C. to about 400° C.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the synthetic gas feedstock is contacted with the composition at a temperature range from about 200° C. to about 320° C.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the synthetic gas feedstock is contacted with the composition at a pressure range from about 0 MPa to about 20 MPa.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the synthetic gas feedstock is contacted with the composition at a pressure range from about 1 MPa to about 12 MPa.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the synthetic gas feedstock is contacted with the composition at a pressure range from about 2 MPa to about 10 MPa.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the synthetic gas feedstock comprises a sulfur compound comprising sulfur in an amount that ranges from 100 ppm to 1 vol. % based on the overall volume of the synthetic gas feed.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the synthetic gas feedstock comprises a sulfur compound comprising sulfur in an amount that ranges from 200 ppm to 6000 ppm based on the overall volume of the synthetic gas feed.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the active material comprises one or more elements having an electronegativity from 1.8 to 1.95 on the Pauling scale.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the active material comprises one or more elements having an electronegativity from 1.85 to 1.91 on the Pauling scale.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein the active material is dispersed on a carrier material selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum-silicon oxide, magnesium oxide, manganese oxide, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, clay, zeolite, activated carbon, and cement.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein the active material is present in an amount that ranges from about 5 wt. % to about 100 wt. %, calculated as an oxide, and wherein the carrier material comprises the remaining wt. %.

14. A process for removing contaminants comprising one or more of arsenic and selenium from a synthetic gas feedstock comprising a sulfur in an amount that ranges from 50 ppm to 3 vol. % based on the overall volume of the synthetic gas feed, in which the synthetic gas feedstock is contacted with a composition comprising an active material comprising one or more elements having an electronegativity from 1.6 to 2.0 on the Pauling scale, wherein at least a portion of the active material is a sulfide phase, and wherein arsenic at least partly replaces the sulfur of the sulfide phase.

15. The process of claim 14 , wherein the active material is dispersed on a carrier material selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, magnesium oxide, manganese oxide, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, clay, zeolite, activated carbon, and cement.

16. The process of claim 15 , wherein the active material and the carrier material are co-precipitated.

17. The process of claim 14 , wherein the composition is formed into a product selected from the group consisting of extrusions, spheres, pellets, cylinders, and symmetrical and asymmetrical tri-quadrulobes.

18. The process of claim 14 , wherein the contaminants comprise selenium, silicon, potassium, calcium, vanadium, iron, and nickel.

19. The process of claim 14 , wherein the sulfide phase of the active material is formed by sulfiding the active material with one or more sulfur compounds under reducing conditions.

20. A composition for removing contaminants comprising one or more of arsenic and selenium from a synthetic gas feedstock comprising a sulfur compound in an amount that ranges from 50 ppm to 3 vol. % based on the overall volume of the synthetic gas feed, the composition comprising an active material consisting of a sulfide phase of the formula M-S, wherein M is one or more elements having an electronegativity from 1.6 to 2.0 on the Pauling scale, wherein arsenic will at least partly replace the sulfur of the sulfide phase.

21. The composition of claim 20 wherein the active material comprises one or more elements having an electronegativity from 1.8 to 1.95 on the Pauling scale.

22. The composition of claim 20 wherein the active material comprises one or more elements having an electronegativity from 1.85 to 1.91 on the Pauling scale.

23. The composition of claim 20 wherein the active material is dispersed on a carrier material selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum-silicon oxide, magnesium oxide, manganese oxide, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, clay, zeolite, activated carbon, and cement.

24. The composition of claim 20 wherein the active material is present in an amount that ranges from about 5 wt. % to about 100 wt. %, calculated as an oxide, and wherein the carrier material comprises the remaining wt. %.

25. The composition of claim 20 , wherein the sulfide phase of the active material is formed by sulfiding the active material with one or more sulfur compounds under reducing conditions.