Swelling of peats in liquid methyl, tetramethylene and propyl sulfoxides and in liquid propyl sulfone

The interactions of methyl, tetramethylene, and propyl sulfoxides and propyl sulfone during sorption onto four dewaxed, acid-form peats have been studied by means of swelling measurements. The results for sulfoxides are displayed as heteromolecular sorption isotherms, which plot amount sorbed versus S=O group activity (molar density ratio relative to methyl sulfoxide). The present swelling data are compared to previous data for a homologous series of alcohols. Propyl sulfone apparently reacted with the peats during the sorption process, and one peat (Canadian) exhibited a dramatic 26% shrinkage in volume when exposed to this reagent for 8 weeks. Pyrolysis-GC-MS study of sulfone-doped Canadian peat found that propyl sulfide was the predominant pyrolysis product, although traces of propyl sulfoxide and sulfur dioxide were also found.