This invention relates to a process for desulfurizing fossil fuels such as coal or oil by reacting such fuels with a non-volatile agent which removes much of the sulfur and produces a compound which can be recycled after its decomposition into non-polluting sulfur and the reconstituted original agent, and by reduction of the sulfur content of fossil fuels prior to their combustion by means of alkali metal sulfides in either melt conditions or in aqueous solution followed by thermal decomposition of the resulting higher sulfur content polysulfide into non-polluting sulfur and a lower sulfur content polysulfide.
Environmental considerations have led to a legislation requiring the removal of sulfur from fuels prior to their combustion. Such removal heretofore has been accomplished by several methods which add appreciably to the cost of the fuels and present problems in disposal of the reagents produced in this desulfurization. Such costs and disposal problems are reduced when desulfurization is practiced by means of easily recycled reagents.
The main object of this invention therefore is to provide a process for desulfurizing fossil fuels by means of such reagents.