Total reduced sulfurs quartet (H2S, CH3SH, CH3SCH3 [DMS]), CH3S2CH3 [DMDS]) is part of a spiny
environmental problem afflicting the pulp mill industry exploiting the Kraft sulfate pulp process.
Utilization of the ferric chelate complex of trans-1,2-cyclohexanediaminetetraacetic acid (CDTA) for the
oxidative scrubbing of H2S and CH3SH in the Kraft mill atmospheric effluent streams is beneficial from
the standpoints of iron protection against precipitation and oxygen-mediated regenerative oxidation of
ferrous chelate CDTA. The remaining DMS and DMDS, considered non-oxidizable in CDTA−Fe(III)
aqueous alkaline solutions, undergo physical absorption so their solubility is a crucial parameter for the
design of the scrubbing−absorption process. The solubility of DMS in pure water, aqueous iron-free CDTA
solutions, and CDTA−Fe(II) complex solutions was measured at atmospheric pressure between (288 and
308) K and for chelate concentrations between (38 and 300) mol·m-3. As experimental results revealed
that DMS destabilized ferrous chelates at very large CDTA−Fe(II) concentrations, a maximum chelate
concentration presenting practical interest was established. The static headspace method was used with
an estimated uncertainty of ±2 %. It was shown that DMS solubility decreases with increasing temperature
for all systems studied. CDTA concentration does not considerably affect DMS solubility; moreover, the
concentration effect is negligible at 308 K. The solution pH was uninfluential on DMS solubility over the
covered concentration and temperature ranges. CDTA concentration less than 100 mol·m-3 is recommended for use in absorption scrubbing equipments.