Removal of sulfur from polyether solvents

Claim 3

A method as described in claim 1 and further characterized in that the polyether compound is selected from the group comprising compounds having the formula:

Claim 4

A method as described in claim 1 and further characterized by the additional steps of purifying the non-polar reactive solvent and recycling the non-polar reactive solvent for use in step (a).

Claim 5

A method as described in claim 3 and further characterized by the additional step of extracting the sulfur-non-polar reactive solvent phase at least one additional time prior to said purification and recycle to remove residual polyether compound therefrom.

Claim 6

A method as described in claim 3 and further characterized in that the volume ratio of non-polar reactive solvent to polyether compound to polar solvent is about 3:1:3; in that the polar solvent is water and is removed from the polyether compound by distillation; and in that the non-polar reactive solvent is carbon disulfide and is purified by distillation.

Claim 7

IN A PROCESS FOR THE REMOVAL OF ACID GAS CONSTITUENTS FROM ADMIXTURE WITH OTHER GASES SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NATURAL GAS, HYDROGEN, NITROGEN, AND LOWER ALKANE HYDROCARBONS WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING THE GASEOUS ADMIXTURE AT SUPER-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE WITH A POLYETHER SOLVENT WHICH IS A POLYOXYALKYLENE ALCOHOL ETHER, AND THEN REMOVING THE DISSOLVED ACID GASES FROM THE ENRICHED POLYETHER SOLVENT, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES REMOVING RESIDUAL SULFUR AND SULFUR COMPOUND FROM THE POLYETHER SOLVENT BY MIXING THE POLYETHER SOLVENT WITH A NON-POLAR REACTIVE SOLVENT, SAID NONPOLAR REACTIVE SOLVENT BEING CHARACTERIZED IN THAT IT IS MISCIBLE WITH THE ABOVE DESCRIBED POLYETHER COMPOUND AND FURTHER BY ITS ABILITY TO DISSOLVE SULFUR AND SULFUR COMPOUNDS EXTRACTING THE POLYETHER SOLVENT FROM THE MIXTURE WITH A POLAR SOLVENT, SAID POLAR SOLVENT BEING CHARACTERIZED IN THAT IT IS MISCIBLE WITH THE ABOVE DESCRIBED POLYETHER COMPOUNDS,, IS IMMISCIBLE WITH THE PARTICULAR NON-POLAR REACTIVE SOLVENT USED, AND IS EASILY SEPARABLE FROM THE POLYETHER COMPOUNDS, WHEREBY POLYETHER SOLVENT-POLAR SOLVENT AND SULFUR-NON-POLAR REACTIVE SOLVENT PHASE ARE FORMED AND SEPARATED, AND REMOVING THE POLAR SOLVENT FRM THE POLYETHER SOLVENT TO PRODUCE PURIFIED POLYETHER SOLVENT.

Claim 8

IN A PROCESS FOR THE REMOVAL OF ACID GAS CONSTITUENTS FROM ADMIXTURE WITH OTHER GASES SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NATURAL GAS, HYDROGEN, NITROGEN, AND LOWER ALKANE HYDROCARBONS WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING THE GASEOUS ADMIXTURE AT SUPER-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE WITH A POLYETHER SOLVENT WHICH IS A POLYOXYALKYLENE ALCOHOL ETHER, AND THEN REMOVING THE DISSOLVED ACID GASES FROM THE ENRICHED POLYETHER SOLVENT, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES REMOVING RESIDUAL SULFUR AND SULFUR COMPOUND FROM THE POLYETHER SOLVENT BY MIXING THE POLYETHER SOLVENT WITH A NON-POLAR REACTIVE SOLVENT, SAID NONPOLAR REACTIVE SOLVENT BEING CHARACTERIZED IN THAT IT IS MISCIBLE WITH THE ABOVE DESCRIBED POLYETHER COMPOUND AND FURTHER BY ITS ABILITY TO DISSOLVE SULFUR AND SULFUR COMPOUNDS EXTRACTING THE POLYETHER SOLVENT FROM THE MIXTURE WITH A POLAR SOLVENT, SAID POLAR SOLVENT BEING CHARACTERIZED IN THAT IT IS MISCIBLE WITH THE ABOVE DESCRIBED POLYETHER COMPOUNDS,, IS IMMISCIBLE WITH THE PARTICULAR NON-POLAR REACTIVE SOLVENT USED, AND IS EASILY SEPARABLE FROM THE POLYETHER COMPOUNDS, WHEREBY POLYETHER SOLVENT-POLAR SOLVENT AND SULFUR-NON-POLAR REACTIVE SOLVENT PHASE ARE FORMED AND SEPARATED, AND REMOVING THE POLAR SOLVENT FRM THE POLYETHER SOLVENT TO PRODUCE PURIFIED POLYETHER SOLVENT.

Claim 9

The method as described in claim 1 and further characterized in that the polar solvent is water and the non-polar reactive solvent is selected from the group consisting of carbon disulfide, benzene, toluene, trichloroethane, and 1,2-dichloroethane.