The kinetics of the liquid-phase reaction of hydrogen sulfide with propylene oxide was studied. In the presence of excess epoxide, the reaction occurred in two successive macrostages: (1)formation of 2-hydroxypropane-l-thiol and (2)formation of l , l ' -d i ( 2 -hydroxypropyl) sulfide. Both of the stages are autocatalytic. 2-Hydroxypropane-l-thiol was mainly formed in the presence of excess H2S. The overall third order of the reaction (the first with respect to each reagent and to 2-hydroxypropane-l-thiol) was found. A kinetic scheme was proposed, and the rate constants of particular stages were calculated. The influence of various catalysts (active carbon, ion-exchange resins, metal oxides, and others) was studied, and the relative efficiency of some of them was determined.Key words: hydrogen sulfide, propylene oxide, catalysis, autocatalysis, kinetics, rate constants.Early works 1-6 on the reactions of hydrogen sulfide with epoxy c o m p o u n d s were mainly preparative. In some of t h e m , the effects o f temperature, solvent, and catalytic additives on these reactions were studied. The kinetics o f the reactions o f H2S with epoxy compounds was mainly studied using solvents that were not inert in these reactions. [4][5][6] This work is devoted to studying the kinetics and m e c h a n i s m of the previously found 7 reaction of hydrogen sulfide with propylene oxide (PO). The process was carried out without a solvent at temperature and pressure that allow the reagents to exist in the liquified state. The o c c u r r e n c e o f the reaction in the liquid phase in the absence o f solvents makes it possible to study in more detail the kinetics and m e c h a n i s m of the reaction and to observe all its peculiarities, including those that could not be observed in the presence of a solvent.
ExperimentalThe reaction of liquefied H2S with PO was carried,out in an autoclave-type reactor with a magnetic stirrer. 8 Liquefied H2S and P O were loaded into the reactor. The reaction was carried out in an inert gas (nitrogen) atmosphere at 75 ~ and 75 arm. The moment of achievement of the needed temperature was taken as the beginning of reaction. Analysis of the critical temperatures and pressures of the reagents showed that the conditions of the reaction are determined by the critical parameters of hydrogen sulfide. 9.1~ A 2--3-mL sample for analysis was taken in a sampler, from which the liquid component moved to a measuring cell due to throttling, and the gas component moved to a gasometer. The liquid sample was analyzed for the content of PO and reaction products by GLC, and the content of H2S was determined using the volumetry method (a saturated solution of CuSO 4 was used as the absorbent). Triethylamine, potassium hydrosulfide, alcohol solutions of sodium and potassium ethylates, anion-exchange resin AV-17-8, strongly basic anion-exchange resin IOS-3, cation-exchange resin KU-2, iron and lead oxides, active carbon (dry alkaline, finely dispersed), and bidistilled water were used as catalytic additives.
Results and...