Sulfur

Pure sulfur is a tasteless, odourless, brittle solid that is pale yellow in colour, a poor conductor of electricity, and insoluble in water. It reacts with all metals except gold and platinum, forming sulfides; it also forms compounds with several nonmetallic elements.

It is used for making car batteries, fertilizer, oil refining, water processing, and mineral extraction. Other applications for sulfur-based chemicals include rubber vulcanization, bleaching paper, and product making such as cement, detergents, and pesticides. And some gunpowder.

Hydrogen

Identity.

Sulfur (also spelled sulphur in British English) is a chemical element; it has symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with the chemical formula S8.

Atomic Structure:

The nucleus consists of 16 protons (red) and 16 neutrons (yellow). 16 electrons (white) bind to the nucleus, successively occupying available electron shells (rings).

History.

Sulfur was known as brenne stone for "combustible stone" from which brim-stone is derived. It was known from prehistoric times and thought to contain hydrogen and oxygen. In 1809, the French chemists Louis-Joseph Gay-Lussac and Louis-Jacques Thenard proved the elemental nature of sulfur.

Sulfur, the tenth most abundant element in the universe, has been known since ancient times. Sometime around 1777, Antoine Lavoisier convinced the rest of the scientific community that sulfur was an element. Sulfur is a component of many common minerals, such as galena (PbS), gypsum (CaSO4·2(H2O), pyrite (FeS2), sphalerite (ZnS or FeS), cinnabar (HgS), stibnite (Sb2S3), epsomite (MgSO4·7(H2O)), celestite (SrSO4) and barite (BaSO4). Nearly 25% of the sulfur produced today is recovered from petroleum refining operations and as a byproduct of extracting other materials from sulfur containing ores.

Paracelsus

Usage.

Sulfur is used in the vulcanisation of black rubber, as a fungicide and in black gunpowder. Most sulfur is, however, used in the production of sulfuric acid, which is perhaps the most important chemical manufactured by western civilisations.

  • Sulfuric acid production:The vast majority of elemental sulfur is used to make sulfuric acid, one of the most important industrial chemicals. Sulfuric acid has numerous applications.
  • Fertilizer production:Most phosphate fertilizers rely on sulfuric acid in their manufacturing process.
  • Metal processing: Sulfuric acid is used in various metal cleaning and pickling processes.
Some of the benefits of using sulfur are:
  • Sulfur is a key component of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Proteins are involved in almost every bodily function, so ensuring adequate sulfur intake is crucial for overall health.
  • Many enzymes, which are essential for speeding up important chemical reactions in the body, contain sulfur. Having enough sulfur helps ensure these enzymes function properly.
  • Some sulfur-containing compounds have antioxidant properties, which means they can help protect cells from damage caused by harmful molecules.

Sources.

Sulfur occurs naturally as the element, often in volcanic areas. This has traditionally been a major source for human use. It is also widely found in many minerals including iron pyrites, galena, gypsum and Epsom salts. Elemental sulfur was once commercially recovered from wells by the Frasch process.

Properties.

Pure sulfur is a tasteless, odourless, brittle solid that is pale yellow in colour, a poor conductor of electricity, and insoluble in water. It reacts with all metals except gold and platinum, forming sulfides; it also forms compounds with several nonmetallic elements.

It is a reactive element that given favorable circumstances combines with all other elements except gases, gold, and platinum. Sulfur appears in a number of different allotropic modifications: rhombic, monoclinic, polymeric, and others.