Decomposition of CH3SH in a RF plasma reactor: Reaction products and mechanisms

Application of the RF (radio frequency) cold plasma method to the decomposi tion of methanethiol (methyl mercaptan, GH(3)SH) at different O-2/CH3SH rat ios (0-4.5), with various input powers (20-90 W), and at constant operating pressure (30 Torr) was investigated. The species detected in the CH3SH2/O- 2/Ar RF plasma were SO2, CS2, OCS, CO, CO2, CH4, C2H4 C2H2, H-2, H2O, HCOH, and CH3OH. However, CS2, CH4, C2H4, C2H2, H-2, H2S, CH3SCH3 (DMS), and CH3 S2CH3 (DMDS) were detected in the CH3SH/Ar RF plasma. In the CH3SH/Ar plasm a, over 83.7% of the total sulfur input was converted into CS2 at 60 W; thi s is due to the lack of competition between O and S and the thermodynamic s tability of CS2. In the oxygen-rich conditions of the CH3SH/O-2/ Ar plasma, the most predominant sulfur-containing compound was SO2. As the feed O-2/C H3SH ratio was increased, M-SO2 was increased, while M-CS2 was decreased si multaneously. M-OCS was reduced by increasing either the O-2/CH3SH ratio or the applied power. From the decay of CS2 and the generation of CO at a low er O-2/CH3SH ratio of 0.6, CS, CS2, and CO were suggested as the primary sp ecies to react with Q, OH, Oz, S, or St and then to form OCS. This study pr ovides useful insight into the reaction mechanisms involved in the decompos ition of CH3SH and, mainly, the formation of CS2, CH4, C2H2, C2H2, SO2, CO, CO2, and OCS in CH3SH/Ar and CH3SH/O-2/Ar plasmas.