Sulfolane, also known as tetramethylene sulfone, is a colorless, polar liquid chemical solvent that is soluble in water. It was first developed by Shell Oil Company in the 1960s for purifying natural gas. It belongs to the sulfone group of organosulfar molecules and is used in the sulfinol and sulfolane extraction processes. It is poisonous to humans and can be dangerous if stored incorrectly.
Sulfolane is a type of liquid chemical solvent. It is also called tetramethylene sulfone. It is a colorless, transparent liquid, soluble in water. The sulfolane solvent was first developed in the 1960s by the Shell Oil Company, which used it to purify natural gas.
One of the key properties of this chemical is its solubility in water. The reason for this chemical feature is that the molecule is strongly polar. A polar molecule is one that has a distinct positive charge on one side and a negative charge on the other. This is similar to a battery, which has a positive end, or pole, and a negative end.
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 use by 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, additional commercial uses have been discovered for the chemical.
Two major 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 can 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 Shell Oil Company. The chemical can be used by other companies for alternative processes and is now used extensively by many organizations in the petrochemical industry.
Sulfolane is generally a very stable chemical and therefore can be reused many times in many of the various processes in which it is used. It is a poisonous substance to humans and must not be ingested or inhaled. Due to its stable nature, it is generally considered safe when stored properly and is not explosive. However, it can be dangerous if stored incorrectly. It can interact with various other chemicals to form hazardous products and can also form explosive vapor mixtures with air.
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