Production
Hydrogen sulfide is most commonly obtained by its separation from sour gas, which is natural gas with high content of H2S. It can also be produced by reacting hydrogen gas with molten elemental sulfur at about 450 °C. Hydrocarbons can replace hydrogen in this process.
Sulfate-reducing (resp. sulfur-reducing) bacteria generate usable energy under low-oxygen conditions by using sulfates (resp. elemental sulfur) to oxidize organic compounds or hydrogen; this produces hydrogen sulfide as a waste product.
The standard lab preparation is to react ferrous sulfide (FeS) with a strong acid in a Kipp generator.
- FeS + 2 HCl → FeCl2 + H2S
A less well-known and more convenient alternative is to react aluminium sulfide with water:
- 6 H2O + Al2S3 → 3 H2S + 2 Al(OH)3
This gas is also produced by heating sulfur with solid organic compounds and by reducing sulfurated organic compounds with hydrogen.
Hydrogen sulfide is also a byproduct of some reactions and caution should be taken when production is likely as exposure can be fatal.
Hydrogen sulfide production can be costly because of the dangers involved in production.
Read more about this topic: Hydrogen Sulfide
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