Abstract
Inverse vulcanization is a process in which highly abundant and low-cost elemental
sulfur is copolymerized with an unsaturated organic molecule such as a polyene. This
process has provided a variety of useful materials with high sulfur content—typically
50% or greater in sulfur by mass. These materials have garnered increasing interest
in research as sorbents for mercury, due to the high affinity of sulfur for mercury.
In this review, the features of mercury sorbents made by inverse vulcanization are
presented. Additionally, case studies are provided to illustrate the variety of polymer
architectures accessible with this chemistry, the versatility of these materials in
mercury remediation, and prospects for industrial use.
1 Introduction
2 Sulfur Polymers by Inverse Vulcanization
3 Sulfur Polymers as Mercury Sorbents
4 Increasing Surface Area to Improve Mercury Uptake
5 Crosslinker Considerations
6 Sorption of Different Forms of Mercury
7 Life-Cycle Management
8 Conclusions and Outlook
Key words
inverse vulcanization - mercury - polysulfides - sulfur - sulfur polymers
