At the Krasnoural'sk Copper Smelting Plant a sulfur dioxide oxidation reactor capable of processing 40,000 m**3/hr of converter gases has been put into operation. The reactor operates according to a new principle consisting in periodic alternations of the direction of injection of a low-temperature gas mixture into a stationary catalyst bed, thus making it possible to reduce the metal volume of the contact unit sixfold and to eliminate heat exchangers and reheating of the gas mixture.