Novel process for preparation of mercaptans by catalytic cleavage of sulfides

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF CATALYTICALLY CLEAVING AN ORGANIC SULFIDE TO A PRIMARY MERCAPTAN AND AN OLEFIN, SAID ORGANIC SULFIDE HAVING THE STRUCTURE R1CH2-S-R2 WHERE R1 IS AN ORGANIC RADICAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP OF ALIPHATIC, AROMATIC, AND HETEROCYCLIC RADICALS CONTAINING UP TO TWELVE CARBON ATOMS, AND R2 IS A TERTIARY ALKYL RADICAL CONTAINING UP TO EIGHTEEN CARBON ATOMS, AND R2 RADICAL HAVING AT LEAST ONE HYDROGEN ATOM ON A CARBON ATOM BETA TO THE SULFUR ATOM, SAID PROCESS BEING CARRIED OUT AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 100*C. AND 350*C. AND IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF (A) AN OXIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALUMINUM, SILICON, AND HTORIUM, (B) METAL SULFIDES, (C) HALOGEN ACIDS, AND (D) AN OXYGEN ACID SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE OXYGEN ACIDS OF THE ELEMENTS OF BORON, PHOSPHORUS, SILICA, AND SULFUR.