Sulfur dichloride, reaction with ammonium chloride

If the sulfur dichloride and dissolved hydrogen chloride are not removed, a product contaminated with ammonium chloride will result. An alternative procedure to pumping off the volatile impurities is to allow the assembly to stand 48 hours so that the adhering liquids drain into the reaction flask. This procedure is not as efficient as pumping off the impurities but has the advantage of minimizing exposure of the product to the atmosphere. 

ESTANO (Spanish) (7440-31-5) Finely divided material is combustible and forms explosive mixture with air. Contact with moisture in air forms tin dioxide. Violent reaction with strong acids, strong oxidizers, ammonium perchlorate, ammonium nitrate, bis-o-azido benzoyl peroxide, bromates, bromine, bromine pentafluoride, bromine trifluoride, bromine azide, cadmium, carbon tetrachloride, chlorine, chlorine monofluoride, chlorine nitrate, chlorine pentafluoride, chlorites, copper(II) nitrate, fluorine, hydriodic acid, dimethylarsinic acid, ni-trosyl fluoride, oxygen difluoride, perchlorates, perchloroethylene, potassium dioxide, phosphorus pentoxide, sulfur, sulfur dichloride. Reacts with alkalis, forming flammable hydrogen gas. Incompatible with arsenic compounds, azochloramide, benzene diazonium-4-sulfonate, benzyl chloride, chloric acid, cobalt chloride, copper oxide, 3,3 -dichloro-4,4 -diamin-odiphenylmethane, hexafluorobenzene, hydrazinium nitrate, glicidol, iodine heptafluoride, iodine monochloride, iodine pentafluoride, lead monoxide, mercuric oxide, nitryl fluoride, peroxyformic acid, phosphorus, phosphorus trichloride, tellurium, turpentine, sodium acetylide, sodium peroxide, titanium dioxide. Contact with acetaldehyde may cause polymerization. May form explosive compounds with hexachloroethane, pentachloroethane, picric acid, potassium iodate, potassium peroxide, 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene-1,3,5-triol. 

Summary Sulfur nitride is conveniently prepared by passing dry anhydrous ammonia gas into a toluene solution of sulfur chloride. In this process, the sulfur chloride is prepared directly by passing dry chlorine into a suspension of powdered sulfur in toluene. Thereafter, this sulfur chloride mixture, which also contains quantities of sulfur dichloride, and tetrachloride is treated with dry ammonia gas. During the reaction, ammonium chloride and sulfur precipitates, and towards the end of the reaction, red fumes will develop. When red fumes evolve, the reaction is complete. Thereafter, the reaction mixture is filtered, and then evaporated to yield dry crystals. These crystals are then recrystallized from toluene to yield high purity sulfur nitride. 

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