A study of the reductive pyrolysis behaviour of sulphur model compounds

The difficulties inherent in the direct determination of sulphur functionalities in complex solid matrices by various techniques often make the need for reference compounds indispensable. One of the pyrolysis techniques used for sulphur determination is atmospheric pressure-temperature programmed reduction (AP-TPR). Experiments on sulphur model compounds have served successfully as a reference for both the temperature region in which the reduction or hydrogenation occurs and the efficiency of the reduction reaction. In this study, the pyrolysis behaviour of several organic and inorganic sulphur model compounds is investigated by AP-TPR using a mass spectrometer detector interfaced with the pyrolysis reactor (AP-TPR-MS). This technique permits a more complete description of the competitive and successive reactions that are occurring during the pyrolysis of the model compounds, providing new information regarding the reduction efficiency of oxidised and non-oxidised sulphur compounds. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.