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The purification of elemental sulfur

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Sherman Susman
Affiliation:
Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439
S. Clark Rowland*
Affiliation:
Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439
Kenneth J. Volin
Affiliation:
Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439
*
a)Permanent address: Department of Physics, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan 49104.
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Abstract

Sulfur has been purified by a dynamic pyrolysis procedure that takes into account the unique viscosity-temperature relationship of the liquid. An apparatus is described that incorporates gas-bubbling and rocking to overcome diffusion-limited kinetics. For the first time, a mechanism is proposed for the pyrolytic purification of sulfur based upon Carsul formation and the H2S ↔ H2Sx equilibrium. Infrared methods are delineated for qualitative analysis and quantitative estimates of anion contaminants, including the omnipresent hydrocarbon impurities. Our purified sulfur has a total carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen impurity level of <10 μg/g.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1992

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