Synthesis of Sulphur Compounds

Conversion to sulphur compounds is a means of recycling sulphur and hydrogen sulphide produced in petroleum refining. The compound COS has been synthesized from CO + S over CaS + BaS and CO + H2S over transition metal sulphides (443-653 K). The CO/H2S reaction is also a means of producing hydrogen. The initial rate of hydrogen formation was given by 

In reactions of sulphur with hydrogen and hydrocarbons over transition-metal sulphides rate constants decreased in the order H C2H4 C2Hg. The rate-determining step for the hydrocarbons, as for hydrogen (cf. Section 2), was cleavage of the metal-sulphur bond. 

Ethane and H2S (329 K, 1 atm) over M0S2 or WS2 supported on silica and promoted by, for example Co or Ni, gave H2, C2H4, CH4, S, and high molecular weight organosulphur compounds. The activities correlated with 

Fukuda, M. Dokiya, T. Kameyama, and Y. Kotera, Ind. Eng. Chem. Fundam., 

Nishizawa, Y. Tanaka, and K. Hirota, Nippon Kagaku Kaishi, 1977, 929 Chem. Abstr., 1977, 87, 91 313). 

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