Process and apparatus for producing organic polysulfides

A process comprising:

• (a) contacting a mercaptan, a sulfur compound, and a catalyst in a reactor under reaction conditions sufficient to produce a crude organic polysulfide product comprising at least one organic polysulfide, at least one gelatinous byproduct, and at least one solid byproduct;
• (b) charging said crude organic polysulfide product to a filtering means capable of trapping at least a portion of said at least one gelatinous byproduct and at least a portion of said at least one solid byproduct therein, while allowing substantially all said at least one organic polysulfide to pass therethrough;
• (c) simultaneously with step (b), monitoring a pressure drop across said filtering means;
• (d) when said pressure drop across said filtering means reaches an undesirably high pressure drop, terminating the charging of said crude organic polysulfide product to said filtering means;
• (e) thereafter, charging a solvent to said filtering means, thereby contacting said solvent with said at least one gelatinous byproduct to produce a degraded gelatinous byproduct capable of passing through said filtering means;
• and
• (f) passing said degraded gelatinous byproduct through said filtering means.