Sulfur-limonene polysulfide
AssigneeThe University of Tulsa
InventorsJustin M. Chalker, Sr., Michael P. Crockett, Austin M. Evans, Max Worthington
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Abstract
Disclosed is a limonene-sulfur polysulfide and methods for preparing the same. The polysulfide prepared according to these methods is flexible, moldable and otherwise capable of being formed in any manner consistent with a thermoplastic polymer. The limonene-sulfur polysulfide has been demonstrated to sequester inorganic palladium and inorganic mercury dissolved in water.
Claims35
A sulfur-limonene polysulfide having an initial red colorization which when exposed to a sufficient concentration of inorganic mercury dissolved in water changes to yellow colorization at the location of inorganic mercury exposure.
A sulfur-limonene polysulfide comprising a reaction product of limonene and elemental sulfur wherein said sulfur-limonene polysulfide has a molecular weight between about 386 and about 777 Daltons and said sulfur-limonene polysulfide having an initial red colorization which when exposed to a sufficient concentration of inorganic mercury dissolved in water changes to yellow colorization at the location of inorganic mercury exposure.
A method comprising:
- heating sulfur to a temperature sufficient to provide molten sulfur;
- adding limonene to said molten sulfur;
- heating the mixture of limonene and molten sulfur for a period of time sufficient to yield a single phase, wherein said single phase comprises sulfur-limonene polysulfide, said sulfur-limonene polysulfide having an initial red colorization which when exposed to a sufficient concentration of inorganic mercury dissolved in water changes to yellow colorization at the location of inorganic mercury exposure.
A sulfur-limonene polysulfide, said sulfur-limonene polysulfide having an initial red colorization which when exposed to a sufficient concentration of inorganic mercury dissolved in water changes to yellow colorization at the location of inorganic mercury exposure and which when formed into a sulfur-limonene polysulfide object having a surface area of 4 cm2 will bind at least about 5 mg of mercury (II) over a period of 180 minutes at a temperature of about 15° C. to about 20° C.
A sulfur-limonene polysulfide, said sulfur-limonene polysulfide having an initial red colorization which when exposed to a sufficient concentration of inorganic mercury dissolved in water changes to yellow colorization at the location of inorganic mercury exposure and which when formed into a sulfur-limonene polysulfide object having a surface area of 28 cm2 will reduce the concentration of 0.35 mM aqueous solution of palladium (II) by at least 40% when said sulfur-limonene polysulfide object is contacted with said solution over a two hour period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.