1. n. [Drilling Fluids]
A chemical that removes all three soluble sulfide species, H2S, S-2 and HS-, and forms a product that is nonhazardous and noncorrosive. Zinc compounds are commonly used to precipitate ZnS and decrease the concentration of all three sulfides that are in equilibrium in a solution to a very low concentration. For water mud, zinc basic carbonate, and, for oil mud, zinc oxide, are recognized to be effective sulfide scavengers. Oxidation of sulfides to form other types of sulfur compounds will remove sulfides from a mud, but slowly and with less certainty.
See: copper carbonate, corrosion coupon, Garrett Gas Train, hydrogen sulfide, iron sulfide, oxygen scavenger, precipitation, pyrrhotite, redox, scavenger, sequestering agent, stress corrosion cracking, sulfate-reducing bacteria, sulfide, zinc basic carbonate
