Method for treating hazardous and corrosion-inducing sulfur compounds

A method of decontaminating a closed vessel having an interior surface in contact with a first compound containing sulfur in a reactive form, said method being comprised of converting said first compound to a product selected from the group consisting of a second compound, elemental sulfur and mixtures thereof, wherein said second compound contains sulfur in a non-reactive form and is different from said first compound, the steps of said method comprising:

• providing a closed vessel having an interior surface in contact with said first compound,
• introducing into said closed vessel an aqueous solution comprising an effective quantity of an oxidizing agent,
• establishing contact between said aqueous solution of said oxidizing agent and said first compound, and
• maintaining said contact between said aqueous solution of said oxidizing agent and said first compound for a time sufficient to convert said first compound to said product;
• said first compound is selected from the group consisting of water soluble compounds containing sulfur-to-sulfur bonds having an anion defined by the general structure
• [SOa—Sx—SOb]−2
• wherein
• X is 0 to 4, a is 0 to 3, and b is 2 or 3,
• mercaptans, water soluble sulfides, water insoluble sulfides, sulfites, and mixtures thereof;
• said second compound is a sulfate;
• said aqueous solution has a temperature in the range of from about 70° F. to a value less than about the boiling point thereof, and a pH in the range of from about 7 to about 11;
• and
• said oxidizing agent is selected from the group consisting of water soluble inorganic persulfates, water soluble inorganic and organic adducts of hydrogen peroxide and mixtures thereof, wherein said adducts of hydrogen peroxide are defined by the general structure
• C.YH2O2.ZH2O
• wherein C is an organic-material or an inorganic borate or carbonate, Y has a value in the range of from about 1.0 to about 1.5 and Z has a value in the range of from about 0 to about 3.