Impact of SO2 on the formation of soot from ethylene pyrolysis

The main results attained indicate that the presence of SO2 in the initial mixture has direct implications on soot formation, and different soot and SO2 reduction levels as a function of the reaction environment (i.e. temperature and inlet SO2 concentration) are achieved. The diminution in the production of soot occurring in the presence of SO2, compared to the pyrolysis of pure ethylene, has been related to the occurrence of both hydrocarbons-sulfur compounds interactions and oxidation reactions, the latter experimentally supported by the quantification of CO, CO2 and CS2. Additionally, elemental and type of sulfur analyses of the soot samples revealed the presence of sulfur bonded to soot structure.