Initial Sulfur Research Articles

Adsorption and solvent desorption behavior of ion-exchanged modified Y zeolites for sulfur removal and for fuel cell applications

Typical ion-exchanged modified Y zeolites (AgY and CeY) were prepared for sulfur removal. The adsorption and desorption behavior of typical sulfur and hydrocarbon molecules in various Y zeolites has been investigated by the adsorption breakthrough and on site solvent washing experiments, as well as computer simulation. Breakthrough experiments showed that the adsorption capacity for thiophenic sulfur increased for the studied adsorbents as follows: CeY>AgY>NaY. The higher initial sulfur concentration accelerated the appearance of breakthrough, and the outlet sulfur concentration, in all cases, cannot reach the corresponding initial sulfur level. The concentration profile of washing solvent during desorption process showed that most of the sulfur compounds could be recovered at initial desorption stage. The desorption rates of typical Y zeolites follow the order: NaY>AgY>CeY, which is the reverse as that found in adsorption capacity. The distinct adsorption and desorption behavior of CeY, AgY, and NaY zeolites was markedly related with their various binding force (S–M coordination, π-complexation, and Van der Waals force) with sulfur compounds. The adsorption isotherms and density distribution snapshots study by computer simulation confirmed the preferential adsorption of thiophenic sulfur.

The Effect of Sulfur Concentration in Liquid Iron on Mineral Layer Formation During Coke Dissolution

The effects of sulfur concentration in liquid iron on mineral layer development between coke and iron as coke dissolves in a 2 mass pct carbon-iron liquid have been investigated at 1773 K (1500 °C). The initial sulfur in iron concentrations used ranged from 0.006 to 0.049 mass pct. Key findings include that the two-stage dissolution behavior exhibited in the carbon transfer from coke to iron, as reported in a previous study by the authors, at low initial sulfur in iron contents, was also apparent at the higher values used in this study. This two-stage behavior was attributed to a change in the mineral layer density as a result of changes in mineral morphology at the interface. In addition to confirming the two-stage behavior of the carbon-transfer kinetics at the higher sulfur concentration in iron levels, after a period of time, a solid calcium sulfide layer formed on the mineral layer. The sulfide layer formed after approximately 40 minutes, and the proportion of sulfide in the mineral layer increased with increased experimental time and initial sulfur concentration in iron. It was usually found at the iron side of the mineral layer and was associated with calcium-enriched calcium aluminates. Thermodynamic analysis of this layer confirmed that the sulfide is stabilized as the mineral layer is enriched by calcium.

New complex for the ultra-deep desulfurization of pig iron in large charging ladles

This article describes innovative technological features and components of a new automated complex for the deep desulfurization of pig iron by the injection of granulated magnesium without depleting additions. The complex has a capacity of 6.5 million tons a year. The rate of magnesium injection ranges up to 26 kg/min. The sulfur content of pig iron with an initial sulfur content in the range 0.02–0.05% is reduced to ≤0.005 and ≤0.002%.

Avoiding premature oxidation during the binding of Cu(II) to a dithiolate site in BsSCO. A rapid freeze-quench EPR study

The Bacillus subtilis version of SCO1 (BsSCO) is required for assembly of CuA in cytochrome c oxidase and may function in thiol-disulfide exchange and/or copper delivery. BsSCO binds Cu(II) with ligation by two cysteines, one histidine and one water. However, copper is a catalyst of cysteine oxidation and BsSCO must avoid this reaction to remain functional. Time resolved, rapid freeze-quench (RFQ) electron paramagnetic resonance of apo-BsSCO reacting with Cu(II) reveals an initial Cu(II) species with two equatorially coordinated nitrogen atoms, but no sulfur. We propose that BsSCO evolves from this initial sulfur free coordination of Cu(II) to the final dithiolate species via a change in conformation, and that the initial binding by nitrogen is a means for BsSCO to avoid premature thiol oxidation.

Avoiding the deactivation of sulphated MoO x/TiO 2 catalysts in the photocatalytic cyclohexane oxidative dehydrogenation by a fluidized bed photoreactor

Since the relevance of deactivation phenomena in heterogeneous gas–solid photocatalytic processes, a study on the deactivation of MoO x /TiO 2 catalysts in the oxidative photodehydrogenation of cyclohexane has been carried out in a fixed bed reactor and compared to the behaviour of catalysts used in a two-dimensional fluidized bed photoreactor. Superior photocatalytic performances were obtained in the fluidized bed reactor with respect to the fixed bed reactor both in terms of cyclohexane conversion and benzene yield. At the opposite of the fixed bed, in the fluidized bed reactor, catalyst did not deactivate. Characterization performed on catalysts after photocatalytic tests evidenced that the deactivation of the catalysts is correlated to the accumulation of carbonaceous species on catalyst surface and the sulphur disappearance. The catalysts used in fluidized conditions remained active as they maintained their initial sulphur content at the surface.

Extraction of bitumen with sub- and supercritical water

The sub- and supercritical water extractions of Athabasca oil sand bitumens were studied using a micro reactor. The experiments were carried out in the temperature range of 360–380 °C, pressure 15–30 MPa and water density 0.07–0.65 g/cm3 for 0–2 hrs. The extraction conversion of bitumens increased with solvent power and temperature. A maximum conversion of 24% was obtained after 90 min extraction at the supercritical condition. Hydrogen and carbon mono-oxide were not detected in sub-critical region but in the supercritical region. The supercritical condition was favorable to the hydrogen formation for bitumen extraction. The extraction products were upgraded relative to the original bitumens due to direct hydrolysis of low-energy linkage and H2 formed by water gas shift reaction in supercritical condition. 18% of initial sulfur in bitumen can be removed at maximum conversion condition. The asphaltene contents of the residue were significantly higher than that of original bitumen due to preferential extraction of aromatic compounds in supercritical condition.

Electrochemical abatement of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole from water

The electrochemical abatement of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (SMX) from aqueous solutions at pH 3.0 has been carried out by anodic oxidation and electro-Fenton (EF) processes with H 2O 2 electrogeneration. The electrolyses have been performed using a small, undivided cell equipped with a Pt or thin film boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode and a carbon-felt cathode. The higher performance of the EF process with 0.2 mM Fe 2+ in a BDD/carbon felt cell is demonstrated. This is due to the higher production of OH radicals, as well as to the simultaneous degradation at the anode surface and in the bulk solution. At low current, the oxidation at the anode was predominant; at high current, SMX was pre-eminently degraded in the bulk. SMX was quickly destroyed under all the conditions tested, following pseudo first-order kinetics; however, the almost total removal of the total organic carbon was only achieved in the BDD/carbon felt cell. The reaction by-products were quantified by chromatographic techniques and thus, the reaction pathway for the mineralization of SMX by EF has been elucidated. Hydroxylation of SMX on the sulfanilic ring is suggested as the first step, followed by the formation of p-benzoquinone and 3-amino-5-methylisoxazole. Their oxidative cleavage led to the formation of five carboxylic acids that were finally mineralized to CO 2; the release of NH 4 + , NO 3 - , and SO 4 2 - accounted for almost 100% of the initial nitrogen and sulfur content. The absolute rate constants for the oxidative degradation of SMX and the detected aromatic by-products have also been determined.

Analysis of trace impurities in hydrogen: Enrichment of impurities using a H 2 selective permeation membrane

A laboratory-scale gas sampling and impurity enrichment device (GSIED) using a Pd/Cu-coated Pd–Ag alloy hydrogen selective permeation membrane has been designed, fabricated, and tested to show that such a device provides an effective method to enrich trace impurity species in hydrogen by factors of 10–100 or greater. The enrichment process will allow analysis of these impurities in hydrogen using simpler and less expensive analytical instruments that can be deployed in the fields. A series of experiments was conducted with the device using a hydrogen analyte gas containing N 2, CH 4, and CO 2 at ∼0.1% each, CO at ∼100 ppm, and H 2S at ∼2 ppm. Chemical analyses of the impurity-enriched sample showed that for the non-sulfur species, the measured enrichment factors were 14.5–14.9, which closely matched the calculated enrichment factors of 14.8–14.9. The elemental material balances indicated a good accounting of the non-sulfur impurity species. For the sulfur species, some initial sulfur loss was observed, presumably due to interaction with the surfaces and/or analytical deficiencies. The impurity enrichment factors for such sampling devices are functions of the sampler size, and the sample vessel pressures before and after enrichment. Depending on the volume of the enriched sample needed for analysis, the device can be designed to enrich the impurities in hydrogen by more than a factor of two orders of magnitude for practical and economical field applications.

Influence of sulfur-bearing polyatomic species on high precision measurements of Cu isotopic composition

An increased interest in high precision Cu isotope ratio measurements using multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) has developed recently for various natural geologic systems and environmental applications, these typically contain high concentrations of sulfur, particularly in the form of sulfate (SO 4 2−) and sulfide (S). For example, Cu, Fe, and Zn concentrations in acid mine drainage (AMD) can range from 100 µg/L to greater than 50 mg/L with sulfur species concentrations reaching greater than 1000 mg/L. Routine separation of Cu, Fe and Zn from AMD, Cu–sulfide minerals and other geological matrices usually incorporates single anion exchange resin column chromatography for metal separation. During chromatographic separation, variable breakthrough of SO 4 2− during anion exchange resin column chromatography into the Cu fractions was observed as a function of the initial sulfur to Cu ratio, column properties, and the sample matrix. SO 4 2− present in the Cu fraction can form a polyatomic 32S– 14N– 16O– 1H species causing a direct mass interference with 63Cu and producing artificially light δ 65Cu values. Here we report the extent of the mass interference caused by SO 4 2− breakthrough when measuring δ 65Cu on natural samples and NIST SRM 976 Cu isotope spiked with SO 4 2− after both single anion column chromatography and double anion column chromatography. A set of five 100 µg/L Cu SRM 976 samples spiked with 500 mg/L SO 4 2− resulted in an average δ 65Cu of − 3.50‰ ± 5.42‰ following single anion column separation with variable SO 4 2− breakthrough but an average concentration of 770 µg/L. Following double anion column separation, the average SO 4 2−concentration of 13 µg/L resulted in better precision and accuracy for the measured δ 65Cu value of 0.01‰ ± 0.02‰ relative to the expected 0‰ for SRM 976. We conclude that attention to SO 4 2− breakthrough on sulfur-rich samples is necessary for accurate and precise measurements of δ 65Cu and may require the use of a double ion exchange column procedure.

The abundance of HNCO and its use as a diagnostic of environment

We aim to investigate the chemistry and gas phase abundance of HNCO and the variation of the HNCO/CS abundance ratio as a diagnostic of the physics and chemistry in regions of massive star formation. A numerical-chemical model has been developed which self-consistently follows the chemical evolution of a hot core. The model comprises of two distinct stages. An initial collapse phase is immediately followed by an increase in temperature which represents the switch on of a central massive star and the subsequent evolution of the chemistry in a hot, dense gas cloud (the hot core). During the collapse phase, gas species are allowed to accrete on to grain surfaces where they can participate in further reactions. During the hot core phase surface species thermally desorb back in to the ambient gas and further chemical evolution takes place. For comparison, the chemical network was also used to model a simple dark cloud and photodissociation regions. Our investigation reveals that HNCO is inefficiently formed when only gas-phase formation pathways are considered in the chemical network with reaction rates consistent with existing laboratory data. Using currently measured gas phase reaction rates, obtaining the observed HNCO abundances requires its formation on grain surfaces. However our model shows that the gas phase HNCO in hot cores is not a simple direct product of the evaporation of grain mantles. We also show that the HNCO/CS abundance ratio varies as a function of time in hot cores and can match the range of values observed. This ratio is not unambiguously related to the ambient UV field as been suggested - our results are inconsistent with the hypothesis of Martin et al (2008). In addition, our results show that this ratio is extremely sensitive to the initial sulphur abundance.

Sulfur Removal from Low‐Sulfur Gasoline and Diesel Fuel by Metal‐Organic Frameworks

AbstractSeveral materials in the class of metal‐organic frameworks (MOF) were investigated to determine their sorption characteristics for sulfur compounds from fuels. The materials were tested using different model oils and common fuels such as low‐sulfur gasoline or diesel fuel at room temperature and ambient pressure. Thiophene and tetrahydrothiophene (THT) were chosen as model substances. Total‐sulfur concentrations in the model oils ranged from 30 mg/kg (S from thiophene) to 9 mg/kg (S from tetrahydrothiophene) as determined by elementary analysis. Initial sulfur contents of 8 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg were identified for low‐sulfur gasoline and for diesel fuel, respectively, by analysis of the common liquid fuels. Most of the MOF materials examined were not suitable for use as sulfur adsorbers. However, a high efficiency for sulfur removal from fuels and model oils was noticed for a special copper‐containing MOF (copper benzene‐1,3,5‐tricarboxylate, Cu‐BTC‐MOF). By use of this material, 78 wt % of the sulfur content was removed from thiophene containing model oils and an even higher decrease of up to 86 wt % was obtained for THT‐based model oils. Moreover, the sulfur content of low‐sulfur gasoline was reduced to 6.5 mg/kg, which represented a decrease of more than 22 %. The sulfur level in diesel fuel was reduced by an extent of 13 wt %. Time‐resolved measurements demonstrated that the sulfur‐sorption mainly occurs in the first 60 min after contact with the adsorbent, so that the total time span of the desulfurization process can be limited to 1 h. Therefore, this material seems to be highly suitable for sulfur reduction in commercial fuels in order to meet regulatory requirements and demands for automotive exhaust catalysis‐systems or exhaust gas sensors.

Performance evaluation of the carbon nanotubes supported Cs 2.5H 0.5PW 12O 40 as efficient and recoverable catalyst for the oxidative removal of dibenzothiophene

With the issues of increasingly stringent legislations on sulfur level in transportation fuels, clean fuels research including desulfurization has become a more important subject of environmental catalysis studies. Oxidative desulfurization (ODS) combined with extraction is one of the most promising desulfurization processes. With the loading of Cs 2.5H 0.5PW 12O 40, a new multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) supported catalyst (Cs 2.5H 0.5PW 12O 40/MWNT) has been developed in this study. Through experimental evaluations, Cs 2.5H 0.5PW 12O 40/MWNT was found to be very effective for the oxidative removal of DBT, with a desulfurization efficiency of up to 100%. Factors affecting the process, including reaction temperature, O/S molar ratio, initial sulfur content, catalyst dosage, and pre-immersion time of the catalyst in H 2O 2 solution, were evaluated, and the favourable operating conditions were determined. Sulfone species was confirmed by GC–MS analysis to be the only product from DBT oxidation by H 2O 2 in the presence of Cs 2.5H 0.5PW 12O 40/MWNT after 160 min. Moreover, the new catalyst developed is recoverable. The recovered Cs 2.5H 0.5PW 12O 40/MWNT demonstrates quite close catalytic activity to that of the fresh. As a whole, Cs 2.5H 0.5PW 12O 40/MWNT has a high potential for using as an effective catalyst for deep desulfurization of diesel.

Integration of continuous biofumigation with Muscodor albus with pre-cooling fumigation with ozone or sulfur dioxide to control postharvest gray mold of table grapes

An integrated approach was evaluated that combined biological and chemical fumigation of table grapes to control postharvest gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea. After fumigation of the grapes with ozone or sulfur dioxide during pre-cooling, the fruit were then exposed to continuous biofumigation by the volatile-producing fungus Muscodor albus during storage. Biofumigation was provided by in-package generators containing a live grain culture of the fungus. This grain formulation of M. albus survived the initial ozone or sulfur dioxide fumigation, but sulfur dioxide reduced its production of isobutyric acid, an indicator of the production of antifungal volatiles. Gray mold incidence was reduced among inoculated ‘Autumn Seedless’ grapes from 91.7 to 19.3% by 1 h fumigation with 5000 μL L −1 ozone, and further reduced to 10.0% when ozone fumigation and M. albus biofumigation were combined. The natural incidence of gray mold among organically grown ‘Thompson Seedless’ grapes after 1 month of storage at 0.5 °C was 31.0%. Ozone fumigation and M. albus biofumigation reduced the incidence of gray mold to 9.7 and 4.4, respectively, while the combined treatment reduced gray mold incidence to 3.4%. The use of commercial sulfur dioxide pads reduced the incidence to 1.1%. The combination of ozone and M. albus controlled decay significantly, but was less effective than the standard sulfur dioxide treatments. Although less effective than sulfur dioxide treatment, ozone and M. albus controlled decay significantly, and could be alternatives to sulfur dioxide, particularly for growers complying with organic production requirements.

Sulphate sorption/desorption behavior vis-à-vis thermodynamic characteristics of some sulphur deficient soils of West Bengal

Sulphate sorption/desorption in four sulphur deficient soil series, namely, Aeric Haplaquept, Fluventic Ustochrept, Typic Fluvaquent and Typic Ustorthent of the Bengal basin was examined at 35°C. The sulphate sorption/desorption data were fitted to six adsorption isotherms, namely, Langmuir, Freundlich, Tempkin, Fitter and Sutton, Gunary and Initial Mass Sulphur (IMS) Adsorption equations were derived, in order to predict better adsorption/desorption processes and parameters. The derived data on these isotherms revealed higher sulphate sorption and also greater extent of hysteresis (indicating greater deficiency) in Aeric Haplaquept and Typic Ustorthent soils. The sorption/desorption capacity of these soils varied moderately with the variations in pH, iron and aluminum fractions, available phosphorus, exchangeable calcium plus magnesium, clay content and organic carbon content of the experimental soils. The data, thus obtained were employed to work out Gibb's free energy of sulphate sorption/desorption, the negative value of which essentially favored the sorption processes in these soils. Soils having greater irreversible sulphate sorption capacity (deficiency) require adequate sulphur (33–50 kg ha−1) in order to ensure optimum plant growth and yield.

Estimate of mole sulfate ratios in magmatic rocks

This study presents a numerical method to estimate the mole fractions of sulfate species in magmatic rocks using sulfur isotopes, which can be illustrated in a δ-δ diagram. The mole sulfate ratio in an igneous rock sample can be calculated from the δ34Srock value of the whole-rock sample and the δ34Ssulfide (or δ34Ssulfate) value of a sulfide and (or) a sulfate mineral (species) in the sample on the basis of S-isotope fractionation and mass balance under the conditions of magmatic equilibrium. This method can be used to test if magmatic equilibrium between sulfate and sulfide species in magmatic rocks is retained, and to predict the δ34S value of one of them at a certain temperature if sulfur isotopic equilibrium is maintained. The initial sulfur isotope composition of the system in question may be estimated based on a set of samples from an igneous suite. Mole sulfate ratio in the magmatic rocks is then used to estimate redox conditions under which they are formed. This practice is important in understanding the genesis of mineral deposits associated with magmatic rocks.

Desulfurization in roasting iron-ore pellets

Desulfurization of iron-ore pellets was considered in [1‐7]. On the basis of these results and the thermodynamic analysis of possible reactions, the main chemical reactions of sulfur compounds during the heat treatment of pellets may be established. All the reactions associated with pellet desulfurization may be divided into four groups: the dissociation of sulfides; their oxidation; the formation of sulfates; and their dissociation. Literature data on the kinetics of pellet desulfurization relate only to isothermal heating and are of limited application. In the present work, to address this lack of data, we study the desulfurization kinetics of unfluxed Sokolovsk‐Sarbaisk and Kostomuksha pellets, with different contents of the initial sulfur in the concentrate (summarized in the table), during nonisothermal heating (at variable ambient temperature). The experimental method involves heating weighed pellets at constant velocity (50‐70 ° C/min) to a specified temperature in an air flux (0.15 m/s) and subsequent cooling in water. The residual sulfur content in the pellets is determined by chemical analysis. Desulfurization is studied at different heating rates and with different pellet basicity.

Study of the First Isolated Fungus Capable of Heavy Crude Oil Biodesulfurization

To meet stringent emission standards stipulated by regulatory agencies, the oil industry is required to bring down the sulfur content in fuels. Oil supplies 38% of the worldwide energy, and as the light oil is limited and meanwhile the energy demand is increasing, it is a must to use heavy crude oil and therefore desulfurize it to meet environmental standards. As it is not feasible to desulfurize all the sulfur containing compounds of heavy crude oil by the existing methods (such as hydro-desulfurization) we have focused on biodesulfurization of heavy crude oil. We have isolated the first native fungus which has been identified as Stachybotrys sp. and is able to remove sulfur and nitrogen from heavy crude oil selectively at 30 °C. This fungus (labeled as WS4 with BBRC-9052 code) is able to desulfurize 76% and 64.8% of the sulfur content of heavy crude oil of Soroush oil field and Kuhemond oil field (with the initial sulfur contents of 5 wt % and 7.6 wt %, respecticely) in 72 and 144 h, respectively. We ha...

Study of a newly isolated thermophilic bacterium capable of Kuhemond heavy crude oil and dibenzothiophene biodesulfurization following 4S pathway at 60 °C

AbstractBACKGROUND: To meet stringent emission standards stipulated by regulatory agencies, the oil industry is required to bring down the sulfur content in fuels. As some compounds cannot be desulfurized by existing desulfurizing processes (such as hydrodesulfurization, HDS) biodesulfurization has become an interesting topic for researchers. Most of the isolated biodesulfurizing microorganisms are capable of desulfurization of refined products whose predominant sulfur species are dibenzothiophenes so biocatalyst development is still needed to desulfurize the spectrum of sulfur‐bearing compounds present in whole crude.RESULTS: The first desulfurizing bacterium active at 60 °C has been isolated, which reduces DBT concentration from 2 mmol L−1 to 0.1 mmol L−1 after 95 h, following the 4S pathway. Its DBT desulfurization pattern was represented by the Michaelis‐Menten equation. Various parameters such as Vmax, Km, µm, Ks and maximum specific DBT desulfurization rate were calculated which are 0.092 mmol L−1 h−1, 3.554 mmol L−1, 0.157 h−1, 3.722 mmol L−1 and 0.192 mmol L−1 DBT g−1 DCW (dry cell weight) h−1, respectively. It can desulfurize 50% of the sulfur content of Kuhemond heavy crude oil (KHC oil) with an initial sulfur content of 7.6%wt in 6 days. Its maximum specific desulfurization rate for KHC oil is equivalent to 0.005 g sulfur g−1 DCW h−1. The bacterium was isolated during a heavy crude oil biodesulfurization project initiated by PEDEC, a subsidiary of National Iranian Oil Company.CONCLUSION: The KHC oil sulfur removal efficiency of the bacterium is approximately five times that of BBRC‐9016 bacterium. It removes sulfur selectively without using sulfur‐containing compounds as its carbon source. By applying various media during its isolation, the probability of screening the correct microorganism is increased. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry

Thermal decomposition of copper concentrates under concentrated radiation — Mechanistic aspects of the separation of copper from iron sulfide phases

The thermal decomposition of two copper concentrates has been studied in an imaging furnace while developing a solar driven process for the extraction of copper. Exposure (heating) of the concentrates in the imaging furnace produced surface temperatures of around 1920 K. Continuous irradiation during 330 s in an argon flow resulted in the removal of 40% of initial sulfur content and the formation of elemental copper. Accelerated sulfur evaporation brought about by repetitive grinding indicates that sulfur elimination is hindered by a slow mass transfer from the interior of the melt to the gas phase. The thermal decomposition of copper concentrates on a technical scale will therefore be most favorably conducted with sub-millimeter particles. Elemental distribution (SEM and EDX) and microprobe analysis revealed that irradiated samples are subject to a temperature gradient. Consequently, elemental copper preferably compacts at the lower surface close to the cold sample support. Exposure of decomposed samples to moderate temperatures around 1400 K showed that tempering of liquid samples will facilitate the separation of metallic copper from residual iron copper sulfides.

Photoreductive degradation of sulfur hexafluoride in the presence of styrene

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6) is known as one of the most powerful greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Reductive photodegradation of SF 6 by styrene has been studied with the purpose of developing a novel remediation for sulfur hexafluoride pollution. Effects of reaction conditions on the destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) of SF 6 are examined in this study. Both initial styrene-to-SF 6 ratio and initial oxygen concentration exert a significant influence on DRE. SF 6 removal efficiency reaches a maximum value at the initial styrene-to-SF 6 ratio of 0.2. It is found that DRE increases with oxygen concentration over the range of 0 to 0.09 mol/m 3 and then decreases with increasing oxygen concentration. When water vapor is fed into the gas mixture, DRE is slightly enhanced over the whole studied time scale. The X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, together with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis, prove that nearly all the initial fluorine residing in the gas phase is in the form of SiF 4, whereas, the initial sulfur is deposited in the form of elemental sulfur, after photodegradation. Free from toxic byproducts, photodegradation in the presence of styrene may serve as a promising technique for SF 6 abatement.