JPH0512283B

An H2S-containing feed gas is burned in at least one burner which opens into a combustion chamber, using oxygen and air. This gives a gas mixture containing H2S and SO2 to be converted into elemental sulphur by the Claus process. Oxygen is passed in through the central tube (13) of the burner, the H2S-containing feed gas is passed in through at least one second tube (14) which surrounds the central tube coaxially, and air is passed into the combustion chamber through a coaxial outer tube (15). The burner is charged with an H2S-containing feed gas whose hydrocarbon or CO2 content is at least 5 % by volume. At the orifice of the burner, the flow rate of the oxygen is 50 to 250 m/sec and that of the H2S-containing feed gas is 10 to 30 m/sec. In the core zone (18) of the burner flame, temperatures in the range from 2000 to 3000 DEG C are produced, and a gas mixture having temperatures of 1350 to 1650 DEG C and containing at least 2 % by volume of CO and at least 8 % by volume of H2 is discharged from the combustion chamber.