Giant star degenerate helium fusion begins explosively, but most of the energy goes into lifting the degeneracy and the core becomes convective. The energy generated by helium fusion reduces the pressure in the surrounding hydrogen-burning shell, which reduces its energy-generation rate. The overall luminosity of the star decreases, its outer envelope contracts again, and the star moves from the red-giant branch to the horizontal branch. When the core helium is exhausted, a star with up to about has a carbon–oxygen core that becomes degenerate and starts helium burning in a shell. As with the earlier collapse of the helium core, this starts
Acid gas hydrogen sulfide and/or carbon dioxide can be used, the raw gas must be treated to reduce impurities to acceptable levels and this is commonly done with an amine gas treating process. The removed HS is most often subsequently converted to by-product elemental sulfur in a Claus process or alternatively converted to valuable sulfuric acid in a WSA Process unit. Processes within oil refineries or natural-gas processing plants that remove mercaptans and/or hydrogen sulfide are commonly referred to as 'sweetening' processes because they result in products which no longer have the sour, foul odors of mercaptans and hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide