Carbon disulfide

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Carbon disulfide is a colorless volatile liquid with the formula CS2, useful as a non-polar solvent.

Properties

Chemical

Chlorination of CS2 yields carbon tetrachloride and sulfur dichloride:

CS2 + 3 Cl2 → CCl4 + S2Cl2

Physical

Carbon disulfide is a colorless, with an chloroform like smell when pure. Impure CS2 has a yellowish color and has a putrid smell. It is insoluble in water, but soluble in many organic solvents, such as benzene, ethanol, diethyl ether, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform. It's poorly soluble in formic acid. CS2 boils at 46.24 °C and freezes at −111.61 °C. It has a low autoignition temperature for a solvent, of only 102 °C.

Availability

Carbon disulfide is sold by chemical suppliers.

Preparation

There are two main ways to synthesize CS2: The first method, involves the reaction of sulfur vapors with carbon (or coke) at 900°C. The resulting vapors are condensed and sulfur disulfide is purified. BromicAcid managed to synthesize only a few ml using this method. A few years later, garagechemist in collaboration with Len1, tried to improve the said method, using a tube furnace. It yielded around 44 g of CS2.

Another method, that works at lower temperatures (600 °C), utilizes methane as the carbon source in the presence of silica gel or alumina catalysts:

2 CH4 + S8 → 2 CS2 + 4 H2S

Projects

Handling

Safety

Carbon disulfide has moderate toxicity. It is however extremely volatile and flammable.

Storage

Carbon disulfide should be stored in closed bottles away from any heat source. Due to it's high volatility its best kept in a cold place. The bottle should be open periodically to prevent a pressure build-up.

Disposal

Carbon disulfide can be burned, although this will produce sulfur dioxide gas.

References

Relevant Sciencemadness threads