Kinetics of joint oxidation of sodium sulfide and mercaptide in presence of cobalt disulfophthalocyanin

In light hydrocarbons (C/sub 2/-C/sub 6/ fraction) sulfur compounds are represented essentially by hydrogen sulfide and mercaptans. In alkali purification of hydrocarbons they are removed together as sulfide and mercaptides, forming sulfurous-alkaline discharges (SAD) in which the concentration of sulfur compounds exceeds by several folds the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) for the discharges sent for biological purification. This makes it necessary to preliminary render the SADs harmless. The most simple and promising method for realizing this is their liquid-phase oxidation by air. This work is devoted to a study of the kinetics of joint oxidation of n-butyl mercaptide and sulfide of sodium by molecular oxygen in caustic soda solution in presence of cobalt disulfophthalocyanin. Preliminary experiments showed that, when sodium sulfide and mercaptide are present together, their oxidation rate at 30/sup 0/C without a catalyst is negligible in comparison with the rate of the catalytic reaction.