 b | |
| Process type | Superheated water |
|---|---|
| Industrial sector(s) | Mining |
| Product(s) | Sulfur |
| Inventor | Herman Frasch |
| Year of invention | 1894 |
The Frasch process is a method to extract sulfur from underground deposits by taking advantage of the low melting point of sulfur. It is the only industrial method of recovering sulfur from elemental deposits.[1] Most of the world's sulfur was obtained this way until the late 20th century, when sulfur recovered from petroleum and gas sources became more commonplace (see Claus process).
In the Frasch process, superheated water is pumped into the sulfur deposit; the sulfur melts and is extracted. The Frasch process is able to produce high-purity sulfur of about 99.5%. [2]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Ullmannwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ The Sulphur Institute. "An Introduction to Sulphur." Archived 2016-03-12 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 17 January 2011.