Claims
- 1. A process for preparing particulate sulfur, having a uniform particle size, which comprises:
- (a) passing a molten sulfur stream through a substantially downwardly oriented, rectangular slot to provide a coherent sheet of molten sulfur,
- (b) shearing said coherent sheet of molten sulfur by contacting at least one coherent sheet of water with said coherent sheet of molten sulfur at a velocity, flow rate an angle sufficient to disrupt said coherent sheet of molten sulfur and provide solid sulfur particles having a substantially uniform size and of which a majority passes No. 8 U.S. Standard Screen and is retained on No. 20 U.S. Standard Screen, said water sheet having a width at least equal to the width of said sulfur sheet,
- (c) recovering said solid sulfur particles as an aqueous slurry thereof, and
- (d) separating said solid sulfur particles from said slurry by substantially removing water therefrom.
- 2. The process of claim 1 wherein said coherent sheet of molten sulfur is discharged from said rectangular slot at a pressure of at least 2 feet of sulfur, and said rectangular slot has a length to width ratio of about 10:1 to about 30:1.
- 3. The process of claim 2 wherein said coherent sheet of sulfur is discharged at an angle of from 15.degree. to 25.degree. from the vertical.
- 4. The process of claim 3 wherein said molten sulfur sheet is at a temperature of at least 245.degree. F.
- 5. The process of claim 4 wherein said water stream is at a temperature of less than about 110.degree. F.
- 6. The process of claim 5 wherein said aqueous slurry is screen to separate a substantial portion of the solid sulfur particles having a particle size of 20 mesh or greater from sulfur fines having a mesh size of less than 20 and said water.
- 7. The process of claim 6 wherein said sulfur fines are separated from said water and said separated water is returned to step (b).
- 8. The process of claim 1 wherein said coherent sheet of molten sulfur is discharged from said rectangular slot at a head pressure of from two to eight feet of sulfur.
- 9. A process for preparing particulate sulfur, having a uniform particle size, which comprises:
- (a) passing a molten sulfur stream through a substantially vertically oriented, rectangular slot to provide a coherent sheet of molten sulfur,
- (b) shearing said coherent sheet of molten sulfur by contacting at least one coherent, liquid sheet with said coherent sheet of molten sulfur at a velocity and flow rate sufficient to disrupt said coherent sheet of molten sulfur and provide solid sulfur particles having a substantially uniform size and of which a majority No. 8 U.S. Standard Screen and is retained on No. 20 U.S. Standard Screen, said liquid sheet having a width at least equal to the width of said sulfur sheet, and (c) recovering said solid sulfur particles.
- 10. The process of claim 9 wherein said fluid stram comprises a hydrocarbon and said solid sulfur particles are recovered as a hydrocarbon slurry thereof.
- 11. A process for preparing particulate sulfur having a substantially uniform particle size from molten sulfur, which comprises:
- (a) elevating said molten sulfur to a height sufficient to provide a head pressure of about 2 to about 8 feet of molten sulfur,
- (b) discharging said elevated molten sulfur, at a head pressure of at least about two feet of sulfur, through a substantially downwardly oriented rectangular slot to provide a coherent sheet of molten sulfur,
- (c) shearing said coherent sheet of molten sulfur by contacting at least one coherent sheet of water with said coherent sheet of molten sulfur at a velocity, angle and flow rate sufficient to disrupt said coherent sheet of molten sulfur and provide solid sulfur particles having a uniform size and of which a majority passes No. 8 U.S. Standard Screen and is retained on No. 20 U.S. Standard Screen, as an aqueous slurry, said water sheet having a width at least equal to the width of said sulfur sheet, and
- (d) recovering said particulate sulfur from said slurry.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 811,655, filed Dec. 19, 1985, now abandoned, which is a division of application Ser. No. 678,633, filed Feb. 14, 1985, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,350.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
53-60361 |
May 1978 |
JPX |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
678633 |
Feb 1985 |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
811655 |
Dec 1985 |
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