Sulfurization of Hydrocarbons Under the Influence of Co60 Gamma Radiation

Hydrocarbons react, under the influence of ionizing radiation, with sulfur to form polysulfides. The reactivity of aliphatic and olefinic hydrocarbons is significantly greater than that of aromatic hydrocarbons. For explanation of the reaction mechanism, the reaction of cyclohexane with sulfur and the reaction of hydrogen sulfide with cyclohexylmercaptan were investigated more closely. In addition to the sulfur-containing reaction products (polysulfides, disulfides, thioether, mercaptans, and hydrogen sulfides), radiolytic products of the pure cyclohexane, above all cyclohexene and dicyclohexyl, were formed in large amounts.