Sulfolane is a type of liquid chemical solvent. It is also called tetramethylene sulfone. It is a colorless, clear liquid that is soluble in water. Sulfolane solvent was first developed in the 1960s by the Shell Oil Company, who used it to purify natural gas.
One of the key properties of this chemical is its solubility in water. The reason for this chemical characteristic is that the molecule is strongly polar. A polar molecule is one that has a distinct positive charge at one side and negative charge at the other. This is similar to a battery, which has one positive end, or pole, and one negative pole.
The systemic name of the sulfolane molecule is 2,3,4,5-tetrahydrothiophene-1,1-dioxide, and it has a molecular structure of C4H8O2S. It belongs to a group of organosulfar molecules called sulfones. These types of molecules are characterized by possessing a sulfonyl group, which is a sulfur atom tightly bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is this sulfonyl group that makes the sulfolane molecule polar.
In its initial commercial usage by the Shell Oil Company, sulfolane was used to remove substances such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and other contaminants from acidic natural gas. The process used was called the sulfinol process. Since it was first discovered, further commercial uses for the chemical have been discovered.
Two of the main modern uses of the chemical are the sulfinol process, which is still used by Shell Oil, and the sulfolane extraction process. This extraction process is a method of producing aromatic hydrocarbons, substances that may be used in the development of some explosives, lubricants, preservatives, and plastics. Both the sulfinol process and the sulfolane extraction process are licensed processes that belong to the Shell Oil Company. The chemical is permitted to be used by other companies for alternate processes, and it is now widely utilized by many organizations in the petrochemical industry.
Sulfolane is generally a very stable chemical, and therefore can be reused multiple times in many of the various processes in which it is utilized. It is a poisonous substance to humans, and should not be ingested or inhaled. Due to its stable nature, it is generally considered safe if it is stored appropriately, and it is not explosive. It can, however, be hazardous if stored incorrectly. It can interact with various other chemicals to form hazardous products, and may also form explosive vapor mixtures with air.
