The preparation of disulphur decafluoride.

The investigations reported in this thesis were carried out as one of the extramural problems of the Directorate of Chemical Warfare under the project number C.E.3. The project was initially planned as an investigation of various fluorine compounds, particularly the fluorides of sulphur. Attention was early focussed on S2F10 when its value as a chemical warfare agent was shown by Noble (1) and McIntosh (2), and attempts were made to discover the conditions for optimum yield of this compound with a view to commercial production. Early results at McGill showed that the reaction of gaseous fluorine and solid sulphur produced S2F10 in yields as high as 28% based on sulphur reacted. The experiments utilised both solid and gaseous diluents. The present problem was concerned with a more thorough investigation of the factors affecting the yield of S2F10 and, if possible, with an elimination of certain laboratory procedures which were not adaptable to large scale production. Throughout the course of this research, the emphasis has been placed on results of practical value and many experiments of purely theoretical interest have been abandoned while still incomplete, or have been omitted entirely. The result has been that, although a relatively complete picture has been established of those faotors which might involve production difficulties, the theoretical background remains somewhat obscure. An attempt will, however, be made to interprete the results from a theoretical viewpoint