Sorbent for treatment of effluent gas stream

A process for producing a sulfur sorbent composition in a mixer having a mixer paddle an energy supply is disclosed which includes hydrating an alkaline earth metal oxide in an aqueous solution containing a promoting additive selected from a group consisting of urea and mixtures of urea with a water soluble iron salt under high intensity mixing conditions with the mixer wherein the mixer is operated at a mixer paddle tip velocity of at least 500 ft/min and a mixer energy input of at least 3.5 kW-h per ton of sorbent so as to produce a sulfur sorbent composition having the following physical and chemical properties: alkaline earth metal (wt. %)-40-52, molar ratio of promoting additive to alkaline earth metal-0.001-0.2, bulk density (g/ml)-0.35-0.75, surface area (m2/g)-5-25, pore volume (cc/g)-0.05-0.14 and mean particle size (um)-4.