Sulfanes: A new solution for sulphur disposal

Huge quantities of sulphur are yielded as by‐products in the oil and gas industry. Disposal raises a relevant environmental issue. Sulfanes, H 2 S n (n > 2), could be the ideal molecular form for sulphur disposal. They are up to 99% wt. made of sulphur and being liquid can be pumped into geological structures, even at room temperature. Since sulfanes can be synthesized only at low yield (<1%) by direct reaction between H 2 S and sulphur, we investigated a new amine‐catalyzed synthesis. Using aliphatic long‐chained amines as catalysts, it is possible to obtain sulfanes by direct H 2 S and sulphur reaction in almost quantitative yield. Structures of the sulfanes formed during this new reaction were studied by GC‐MS, LC‐MS and 1 H NMR, to investigate the nature of the complexes formed between amine and sulfane. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2010