Process and product for dissolving sulfur
AssigneeSociete Nationale Elf Aquitaine
InventorYves Labat
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Abstract
A solvent for sulfur consisting of a dialkyl disulfide which is free of any basic substance. It is obtained from a commercial dialkyl disulfide by treatment with a reagent capable of eliminating or blocking the basic substances, particularly amines, which are customarily present in such a product. This reagent may be an acid. The use of the product, after treatment in this manner, for dissolving sulfur which has deposited in the casings of natural gas wells permits the reuse several times of the dialkyl disulfide employed.
Claims16
A method of dissolving sulfur from a sulfur eposit, which comprises the steps of:
- (a) contacting a liquid dialkyl disulfide with a reagent which reacts with and removes or blocks the basicity of basic substances contained in the liquid;
- (b) contacting the sulfur deposit with the treated liquid dialkyl disulfide, the liquid being kept at a temperature of 50.degree. to 100.degree. C.;
- (c) maintaining said liquid and the deposit in contact until 1.5 to 4.5 grams of the sulfur from the deposit is dissolved in the liquid per gram of sulfur in the dialkyl disulfide;
- (d) cooling the solution thus obtained;
- and
- (e) recovering the sulfur which precipitates as a consequence of the cooling.
A method of dissolving sulfur from a sulfur deposit, which comprises the steps of:
- (a) contacting the sulfur deposit with a liquid dialkyl disulfide which has been previously contacted with a reagent which reacts with basic substances contained in the liquid to remove or block the basicity of said basic substances contained in the liquid, the liquid being in contact with the deposit at a temperature of 50.degree. to 100.degree. C.;
- (b) maintaining said liquid and the deposit in contact until 1.5 to 4.5 grams of the sulfur from the deposit is dissolved in the liquid per gram of sulfur in the dialkyl disulfide;
- (c) cooling the solution thus obtained;
- and
- (d) recovering the sulfur which precipitates as a consequence of the cooling.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.