Learn More About Sulphur - Introduction | The Sulphur Institute Learn More About Sulphur Member Benefits Left Navigation Link #4 An Introduction to Sulphur Sulphur is a non-metallic chemical element identified by the letter S. For a list of sulphur's chemical properties, please click here . Sulphur is a valuable commodity and integral component of the world economy used to manufacture numerous products including fertilizers and other chemicals. For a list of sulphur uses click here . Sulphur also is a vital nutrient for crops, animals and people. Sulphur occurs naturally in the environment and is the thirteenth most abundant element in the earth's crust. It can be mined in its elemental form, though this production has reduced significantly in recent years. Since early in the 20th Century, the Frasch process has been used as a method to extract sulphur from underground deposits, when it displaced traditional mining principally in Sicily. Most of the world's sulphur was obtained this way until the late 20th century, when sulphur's recovery from petroleum and gas sources (recovered sulphur) became more commonplace.

As of 2011, the only operating Frasch mines worldwide are in Poland and since 2010 in Mexico. The last mine operating in the United States closed in 2000. A Frasch mine in Iraq closed in 2003. Sulphur that is mined or recovered from oil and gas production is known as brimstone, or elemental sulphur. Sulphur produced as a by-product of ferrous and non-ferrous metal smelting is produced in the form of sulphuric acid . A smaller volume is produced as sulphur dioxide , which is also emitted from petroleum products used in vehicles and at some power plants. Plants absorb sulphur from the soil in sulphate form. Elemental sulphur is produced all over the world. Largest production occurs where sour (meaning sulphur-rich) gas and oil is processed and refined: United States, Canada, the Former Soviet Union, and West Asia. Over half of elemental sulphur production is traded internationally. China is the world's largest importer, followed by Morocco and the United States. Canada is the largest exporter, followed by Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Well over half of global sulphuric acid production comes from burning elemental sulphur at points of consumption, with most of the remainder produced at non-ferrous metals smelters and pyrites mines. East Asia, led by China, is the largest overall acid producer, stemming largely from rapid growth. It is followed by North America, Africa, and Latin America. Practically all traded acid is from smelters. Western Europe is the largest acid trading region, followed by East Asia and North America. Sulphur is the primary source to produce sulphuric acid, the world's most used chemical and a versatile mineral acid used as an essential intermediate in many processes in the chemical and manufacturing industries. Sulphuric acid is used by the fertilizer industry to manufacture primarily phosphates, and also nitrogen, potassium, and sulphate fertilizers. Sulphur is also used in many other industries including non-ferrous metals, pigments, fibers, hydrofluoric acid, carbon disulphide, pharmaceuticals, agricultural pesticides, personal care products, cosmetics, synthetic rubber vulcanization, water treatment, and steel pickling. Like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, sulphur is one of the essential plant nutrients .

It contributes to an increase in crop yields in three different ways: 1) it provides a direct nutritive value, 2) it provides indirect nutritive value as soil amendment, especially for calcareous and saline alkali soils, and 3) it improves the use efficiency of other essential plant nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. In general, sulphur has similar functions in plant growth and nutrition as nitrogen. The incidence of soil sulphur deficiency has rapidly increased in recent years. Three major factors are responsible for increased sulphur deficiency: a) intensified cropping systems worldwide demand higher sulphur nutrient availability; b) increased use of high-analysis, sulphur-free fertilizers, and c) reduction of sulphur dioxide emissions, particularly in developed regions, reduces atmospheric sulphur deposition, a "natural" sulphur source. For more information on sulphur fertilizers, please see TSI's Publications . Sulphur asphalt (SA), sometimes referred to as sulphur bitumen, sulphur extended asphalt or SEA, is a viable alternative for asphalt road binder. Sulphur's unique properties to improve the characteristics of asphalt have been known for more than a century. For more information on sulphur asphalt, please see TSI's Publications .

Sulphur  an advantaged element® Sulphur is present wherever you look, from the food we eat to the medicine we take. Click here to learn why TSI calls it "an advantaged element". Copyright 2017 The Sulphur Institute 1020 19th Street NW, Suite 520, Washington, DC 20036 USA  P: +1 202 331 9660  F: +1 202 293 2940  E-mail: sulphur@sulphurinstitute.org Frasch process | Article about Frasch process by The Free Dictionary Frasch process | Article about Frasch process by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Wikipedia . Frasch process (fräsh) [for Herman Frasch, the German-American chemist who devised it], process for the extraction of sulfur sulfur or sulphur , nonmetallic chemical element; symbol S; at. no. 16; interval in which at. wt. ranges 32.059–32.076; m.p.

112.8&degC; (rhombic), 119.0&degC; (monoclinic), about 120&degC; (amorphous); b.p. 444.674&degC;; sp. gr. at 20&degC;, 2.07 (rhombic), 1. ..... Click the link for more information. from subsurface deposits. Three pipes, one inside another, are sunk to the bottom of the sulfur bed. Water heated under pressure to a temperature well above the melting point of the sulfur is conducted down the outer pipe, and air under pressure down through the innermost pipe. The heated water melts the sulfur and the compressed air forces it through the middle pipe to the surface. Frasch Process a method of mining native sulfur in which hot water (the heat carrier) is forced into the deposit through wells to melt the sulfur, which is then brought to the surface in liquid form. The Frasch process is based on the low melting point of elementary sulfur: 112.8°–119°C. It was proposed by H.

Frasch in the United States in 1890 for mining the sulfur deposits along the Gulf of Mexico, which could not be worked by conventional underground mining methods, and has been the leading method for extracting sulfur since 1912. In the Frasch process, wells about 300 mm in diameter are drilled to the sulfur layer. Pipes are placed one inside another in the well for feeding the water (heated to a temperature of 165°C), for injecting compressed air, and for pumping the melted sulfur to the surface. The injected heat carrier, spreading through the caverns and interstices of the ore body, melts the sulfur, which then flows down to the face of the well and is pumped to the surface by an air lift. After purification, the liquid sulfur contains up to 99.95 percent useful components. The Frasch process is used to work sulfur deposits in the USSR, United States, Mexico, Poland, and Iraq. Work is presently under way in the USSR to increase the percentage of sulfur extracted by adding surfactants to the heat carrier, using strongly mineralized underground waters as a heat carrier, and heating the deposit by electricity.

REFERENCES Frasch Process - My Favorite Element: Sulfur My Favorite Element: Sulfur Production/Obtainment ‎ > ‎ Frasch Process The Frasch process first began in the 1860's, when miners discovered Sulfur in a salt dome near Louisiana. When trying to mine this Sulfur, they noticed that quicksand was directly underneath and would prevent this mining from occurring. In 1894, Herman Frasch created a patent of a method that would remove Sulfur using pipes to bypass the quicksand underneath. At first, this method was uneconomic due to the high costs of oil, but when new oil fields were discovered in Texas that provided cheap oil, this process began economic production in areas such as Louisiana. Many Frasch-process mines began to sprung up in areas such as Texas and on much of the Gulf Coast, however the high price of Sulfur drove many of these out of business. Now this process has made a comeback and is mostly used in the United States, Mexico, Poland, and Iraq. Today, most of the amount of world's Sulfur, until recently, came from these Sulfur bearing limestone deposits in the North American Gulf Coast region.

The deposits occur at depths from 500 to 3,000 feet, in domes that have been created by columns of salt being thrust up. This process allows a steel tube, made of three concentric pipes, to be driven underground to these deposits, where superheated water is pumped at great pressure from one tube. This hot water and exceeding amount of pressure, melts the Sulfur. Due to the air pressure of the second tube, Sulfur is forced up the third onto the surface where it cools and becomes a solid. Usually this Sulfur is very pure but sometimes it is contaminated by organic compounds, in which case further purification may be acquired, but is unnecessary. This associated energy of superheated water is significant in cost due to 3-38 cubic meters of water required to produce every ton of Sulfur. The United States alone produced 3.89 million tons of Sulfur in 1989, and this production rate is growing rapidly, making the Frasch Process very popular. Black Gold Diggers Ltd. Sulphur is a valuable commodity and integral component of the world economy used to manufacture numerous products including fertilizers and other chemicals.

Sulphur occurs naturally in the environment and is the thirteenth most abundant element in the earth's crust. It can be mined in its elemental form, though this production has reduced significantly in recent years. Since early in the 20th Century, the Frasch process has been used as a method to extract sulphur from underground deposits, when it displaced traditional mining principally in Sicily. Most of the world's sulphur was obtained this way until the late 20th century, when sulphur's recovery from petroleum and gas sources (recovered sulphur) became more commonplace. As of 2011, the only operating Frasch mines worldwide are in Poland and since 2010 in Mexico. The last mine operating in the United States closed in 2000. A Frasch mine in Iraq closed in 2003. Sulphur that is mined or recovered from oil and gas production is known as brimstone, or elemental sulphur. Sulphur produced as a by-product of ferrous and non-ferrous metal smelting is produced in the form of sulphuric acid.

A smaller volume is produced as sulphur dioxide, which is also emitted from petroleum products used in vehicles and at some power plants. Plants absorb sulphur from the soil in sulphate form. Elemental sulphur is produced all over the world. Largest production occurs where sour (meaning sulphur-rich) gas and oil is processed and refined: United States, Canada, the Former Soviet Union, and West Asia. Over half of elemental sulphur production is traded internationally. China is the world's largest importer, followed by Morocco and the United States. Canada is the largest exporter, followed by Russia and Saudi Arabia. Well over half of global sulphuric acid production comes from burning elemental sulphur at points of consumption, with most of the remainder produced at non-ferrous metals smelters and pyrites mines. East Asia, led by China, is the largest overall acid producer, stemming largely from rapid growth. It is followed by North America, Africa, and Latin America. Practically all traded acid is from smelters. Western Europe is the largest acid trading region, followed by East Asia and North America.

Sulphur is the primary source to produce sulphuric acid, the world's most used chemical and a versatile mineral acid used as an essential intermediate in many processes in the chemical and manufacturing industries. Sulphuric acid is used by the fertilizer industry to manufacture primarily phosphates, and also nitrogen, potassium, and sulphate fertilizers. Sulphur is also used in many other industries including non-ferrous metals, pigments, fibers, hydrofluoric acid, carbon disulphide, pharmaceuticals, agricultural pesticides, personal care products, cosmetics, synthetic rubber vulcanization, water treatment, and steel pickling. Like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, sulphur is one of the essential plant nutrients. It contributes to an increase in crop yields in three different ways: 1. it provides a direct nutritive value 2. it provides indirect nutritive value as soil amendment, especially for calcareous and saline alkali soils 3. it improves the use efficiency of other essential plant nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. In general, sulphur has similar functions in plant growth and nutrition as nitrogen. The incidence of soil sulphur deficiency has rapidly increased in recent years.

Three major factors are responsible for increased sulphur deficiency: a. Intensified cropping systems worldwide demand higher sulphur nutrient availability. b. Increased use of high-analysis, sulphur-free fertilizers. c. Reduction of sulphur dioxide emissions, particularly in developed regions, reduces atmospheric sulphur deposition, a "natural" sulphur source. Sulphur asphalt (SA), sometimes referred to as sulphur bitumen, sulphur extended asphalt or SEA, is a viable alternative for asphalt road binder. Sulphur's unique properties to improve the characteristics of asphalt have been known for more than a century. We have built up a global physical business by focusing on customer requirements. We ensure on-time supply to our customers, wherever they are located. Sulfur, Chemical Element - reaction, water, uses, elements, proteins, examples, metal, gas PRONUNCIATION SUL-fur Sulfur, also spelled as sulphur, is a very important element in today's world. Its most important use is in the manufacture of sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ). There is more sulfuric acid made than any other chemical in the world. It has an enormous number of important uses.

Discovery and naming Sulfur must have been well known to ancient peoples. They sometimes referred to it as brimstone. Sulfur sometimes occurs in bright yellow layers on the top of the earth. It has a sharp, offensive odor. When it burns, it gives off a strong, suffocating smell. The odor is like that produced when a match is struck. The Bible mentions brimstone in a number of places. For example, Sodom and Gomorrah were two towns destroyed by God for the wicked ways of their citizens: "The Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire." But ancient people certainly did not think about sulfur the way modern chemists do. In fact, they used the word "element" to talk about anything that was basic. Ancient Greek philosophers, for example, thought that everything consisted of four elements: earth, fire, water, and air. Other philosophers thought there were only two elements: sulfur and mercury. But early thinkers were often confused as to what they meant by the word "sulfur." They often were talking about anything that burned and gave off large amounts of smoke.

To them, "sulfur" was really a "burning substance." It took centuries for scientists to identify sulfur as an element. Physical properties Sulfur exists in two allotropic forms. Allotropes are forms of an element with different physical and chemical properties. The two forms of sulfur are known as α-form and β-form (the Greek letters alpha and beta, respectively). Both allotropes are yellow, with the α-form a brighter yellow and the β-form a paler, whitish-yellow. The α-form changes to the β-form at about 94.5°C (202°F). The α-form can be melted at 112.8°C (235.0°F) if it is heated quickly. The β-form has a melting point of 119°C (246°F). The boiling point of the α-form is 444.6°C (832.3°F). The two allotropes have densities of 2.06 grams per cubic centimeter (α-form) and 1.96 grams per cubic centimeter (β-form). Neither allotrope will dissolve in water. Both are soluble Solid sulfur.

in other Liquids, such as benzene (C 6 H 6 ), carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ), and carbon disulfide (CS 2 ). Another allotrope of sulfur is formed when the element is melted. This allotrope has no crystalline shape. It looks like a dark brown, thick, melted plastic. Chemical properties Sulfur's most prominent chemical property is that it burns. When it does so, it gives off a pale blue flame and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) gas. Sulfur dioxide has a very obvious strong, choking odor. Sulfur sometimes occurs in bright yellow layers on the top of the earth. It has a sharp, offensive odor. Sulfur also combines with most other elements. Sometimes it combines with them easily at room temperature. In other cases, it must be heated. The reaction between magnesium and sulfur is typical. When the two elements are heated, they combine to form magnesium sulfide (MgS): A chemical reaction involving sulfur. Sulfur also combines with hydrogen gas: The compound formed in this reaction is hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S). Hydrogen sulfide has one of the best known odors of all compounds.

It smells like rotten eggs. Hydrogen sulfide is added to natural gas (methane) used in homes for cooking and heating. Methane is odorless. So the unique smell of hydrogen sulfide makes it easy to know when there is a methane leak. Occurrence in nature At one time, sulfur occurred in layers along the Earth's surface. They were easy for humans to find and take. Deposits like these are more difficult to find today. One place they still occur is in the vicinity of volcanoes. Sulfur is released from volcanoes as a gas. When it reaches the cold air, it changes back to a solid. It forms beautiful yellow deposits along the edge of a volcano. Large supplies of sulfur still occur underground. They are removed by the Frasch process (see accompanying sidebar). Sulfur also occurs in a number of important minerals.

Some examples are barite, or barium sulfate (BaSO 4 ); celestite, or strontium sulfate (SrSO 4 ); cinnabar, or mercury sulfide (HgS); galena, or lead sulfide (PbS); pyrites, or iron sulfide (FeS 2 ); sphalerite, or zinc sulfide (ZnS); and stibnite, or antimony sulfide (Sb 2 S 3 ). The abundance of sulfur in the Earth's crust is thought to be about 0.05 percent. It ranks about number 16 among the elements in terms of their abundance in the earth. It is more abundant than carbon, but less abundant than barium or strontium. The largest producers of sulfur in the world are the United States, Canada, China, Russia, Mexico, and Japan. In 1996, the United States produced about 11,800,000 metric tons of sulfur. It is mined in 30 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Isotopes There are four naturally occurring isotopes of sulfur: sulfur-32, sulfur-33, sulfur-34, and sulfur-36. Isotopes are two or more forms of an element. Isotopes differ from each other according to their mass number. The number written to the right of the element's name is the mass number. The mass number represents the number of protons plus neutrons in the nucleus of an atom of the element. The number of protons determines the element, but the number of neutrons in the atom of any one element can vary. Each variation is an isotope. Sulfur occurs in the vicinity of volcanoes. Six radioactive isotopes of sulfur are known also. A radioactive isotope is one that breaks apart and gives off some form of radiation. Radioactive isotopes are produced when very small particles are fired at atoms. These particles stick in the atoms and make them radioactive. One radioactive isotope of sulfur, sulfur-35, is used commercially. In medicine, the isotope is used to study the way fluids occur inside the body. It also has applications in research as a tracer. A tracer is a radioactive isotope whose presence in a system can easily be detected.

The isotope is injected into the system at some point. Inside the system, the isotope gives off radiation. That radiation can be followed by means of detectors placed around the system. As an example, a company that makes rubber tires might want to know what happens to the sulfur added to tires. Sulfur-35 is added to rubber along with non-radioactive sulfur. Researchers follow the radioactive isotope in the tires to see what happens to the sulfur when the tires are used. The Frasch method of removing sulfur T he Frasch method is one of the most famous mining systems ever invented. It was developed by German-American chemist Herman Frasch (1851-1914) in 1887. The Frasch method is based on the low melting point of sulfur. The element melts at a temperature slightly higher than that of boiling water (100°C). Here is how the method works: A set of three nested pipes (one inside each other) is sunk into the ground. The innermost pipe has a diameter of about an inch. The middle pipe has a diameter of about four inches. And the outer pipe has a diameter of about eight inches.

A stream of superheated water is injected into the outer pipe. Superheated water is water that is hotter than its boiling point, but that has not started to boil. Superheated water can be made by raising the pressure on the water. Its temperature can reach 160°C (320°F). The superheated water passes down the outer pipe into the underground sulfur, causing it to melt. The molten (melted) sulfur forms a lake at the bottom of the pipe. At the same time, a stream of hot air under pressure is forced down the innermost (one-inch) pipe. The hot air stirs up the molten sulfur and hot water at the bottom of the pipe. A foamy, soupy mixture of sulfur and water is formed. The mixture is forced upward through the middle pipe. When it reaches the surface, it is collected. The sulfur cools and separates from the water. Similar applications of sulfur-35 involve studying sulfur in steel when it is made, seeing how sulfur affects the way engines operate, following what happens when proteins (which contain sulfur) are digested, and learning how drugs that contain sulfur are processed in the body.

Extraction Like coal, sulfur sometimes occurs in thick layers under ground. One way to remove sulfur would be to mine it the way coal is mined. But a much easier method for removing sulfur from the ground is the Frasch method (see accompanying sidebar). Uses Sulfur has relatively few uses as an element. One of the most important of those uses is in vulcanization. Vulcanization is the process of adding sulfur to rubber to make it stiff and hard. It keeps the rubber from melting as it gets warmer. The discovery of vulcanization by Charles Goodyear (1800-60) in 1839 is one of the greatest industrial accomplishments of modern times. Some powdered sulfur is also used as an insecticide. It can be spread on plants to kill or drive away insects that feed on the plants. By far the majority of sulfur is used, however, to make sulfur compounds. The most important of these is sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ). Compounds Nearly 90 percent of all sulfur produced goes into sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is the number one chemical in the world in terms of the amount produced.

Each year, almost twice as much sulfuric acid is made as the next highest chemical, nitrogen. In 1996, more than 45 million tons of sulfuric acid were produced in the United States alone. The greatest portion, nearly 75 percent, of sulfuric acid is used to make fertilizers. The next most important use, 10 percent, is in the petroleum industry. Other important uses of sulfuric acid are in the treatment of copper ores; the production of paper and paper products; the manufacture of other agricultural chemicals; and the production of plastics, synthetic rubber, and other synthetic materials. Vulcanization is the process of adding sulfur to rubber to make it stiff and hard. Sulfuric acid is also used in smaller amounts to make explosives, water treatment chemicals, storage batteries, pesticides, Reaction of sulfuric acid and sugar. drugs, synthetic fibers, and many other chemicals used in everyday life. Health effects The cleansing power of sulfur has been known for many centuries. At one time, ancient physicians burned sulfur in a house to cleanse it of impurities. Creams made with sulfur were used to treat infections and diseases. In fact, sulfur is still used to treat certain medical problems.

Sulfur is prepared in one of three forms. Precipitated sulfur (milk of sulfur) is made by boiling sulfur with lime. Sublimed sulfur (flowers of sulfur) is pure sulfur powder. And washed sulfur is sulfur treated with ammonia water. Washed sulfur is used to kill parasites (organisms that live on other organisms) such as fleas and ticks. It is also used as a laxative, a substance that helps loosen the bowels. Sulfur is a macronutrient for both plants and animals. A macronutrient is an element needed in relatively large amounts to insure the good health of an organism. Sulfur is used to make proteins and nucleic acids, such as DNA. It also occurs in many essential enzymes. Enzymes are chemicals that make chemical reactions occur more quickly in cells. Humans usually have no problem getting enough sulfur in their diets. Eggs and meats are especially rich in sulfur. A person who does not get enough sulfur in his or her diet develops certain health problems. These include itchy and flaking skin and improper development of hair and nails. Under very unusual conditions, a lack of sulfur can lead to death. Such conditions would be very rare, however.

The cleansing power of sulfur has been known for many centuries. Plants require sulfur for normal growth and development. When plants do not get enough sulfur from the soil, their young leaves start to turn yellow. Eventually, this yellowing extends to the whole plant. The plant may develop other diseases as a result. Also read article about Sulfur from Wikipedia User Contributions: Sulfur - The Environmental Literacy Council The Environmental Literacy Council Sulfur Sulfur (S), the tenth most abundant element in the universe, is a brittle, yellow, tasteless, odorless non-metallic element in the Chalcogen group on the periodic table. Sulfur has the atomic number 16, and an atomic weight of 32.065 and is a component in proteins and vitamins and as such it is a vital component of living systems. It plays a critical role in climate and the health of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Sulfur is also found in coal, oil, and natural gas. One common misconception about sulfur is that it has a pungent odor. Sulfur itself is odorless. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), one of sulfur’s more common compounds, does have a strong scent.

Hydrogen sulfide gas is produced when proteins of dead tissue containing sulfur, such as eggs or vegetation, begin to decay. Sulfur compounds are also responsible for the recognizable scents of garlic, mustard, onion, cabbage, and the musk sprayed by skunks. Sulfur is a very reactive element and can combine with many others, producing a wide variety of compounds. Sulfur is most commonly formed as a sulfide, which is a compound that contains no oxygen. The most common sulfide is iron sulfide, also called pyrite. Its name means ?mineral of fire? owing to its tendency to spark when struck. It has a brassy color and is known as ?fool’s gold.? Sulfur compounds are used in virtually every sector of the economy due to its abundance, relative ease of extraction, and widespread utility. Sulfur has a rich history and has been used since ancient times. One of sulfur’s earliest English names was brimstone, an old-English word meaning ?a stone that burns.? Brimstone is a pure form of sulfur formed as bacteria consume hydrogen sulfide gas in oxygen-free environments.

Despite sulfur’s long history, it was not until approximately 1777 that Antoine Lavoisier identified sulfur as an element. Europeans used sulfur for medicinal purposes. In the Victorian era, people used ?brimstone and treacle? (treacle is a syrup) as a laxative and as a tonic for children. Modern medical applications of sulfur include its use as an anti-microbial and anti-bacterial, as a laxative (magnesium sulfate), as an anti-inflammatory, to prevent convulsions, and in the treatment of dermatitis, scabies, and various skin disorders such as acne. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a common additive in wine and dried fruits because of its anti-bacterial qualities. The Chinese used sulfur almost two thousand years ago to make gunpowder. Since that time, military uses have varied from its use as an active ingredient in gunpowder to its use during the First World War in making poison gas, also called mustard gas (dichlorodiethyl sulfide). Modern gunpowder is mainly used in fireworks and is made by combining charcoal with sulfur and adding potassium nitrate.

Industrial applications of sulfur include its use as a bleaching agent, solvent, disinfectant, and refrigerant. Sulfur is used in the manufacture of paint, synthetic fibers such as rayon, a wide range of plastics, detergents, dyes, explosives, and the recovery of metals from ores. The building industry uses gypsum (calcium sulfate) for plaster and wallboard. When oil and coal are burned as fuel, they produce sulfur dioxide, which further oxidizes to sulfur trioxide, which in turn reacts with water to form sulfuric acid. About 90 percent of global sulfur production is burned to form sulfur dioxide and most of that is used to form sulfuric acid. In fact, sulfuric acid is the most commonly manufactured chemical in the world and more sulfuric acid is produced in the US than any other industrial chemical. Furthermore, it is the least expensive commercial acid and can be shipped in its pure form. Sulfuric acid is a component of insecticides, fungicides, pesticides, preservatives, and fertilizers. The automotive industry uses sulfuric acid to make batteries and as an additive to vulcanize rubber for use in tires. Natural sources of sulfur include volcanic emissions, hot springs, and the decay of vegetation.

Almost half of all natural sulfur emissions released are the result of open-ocean biogenic production, meaning they are released by living organisms in the ocean. Sulfur is found in its elemental state as a yellow deposit at the edges of hot springs and geysers, near volcanoes, and in salt domes. It is also found in ores and minerals such as galena (lead sulfide), gypsum (calcium sulfate), and Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate). For centuries, one common method of obtaining sulfur was to lower a man in a basket into volcanic vents to collect sulfur by scraping it off the walls. Fortunately, modern extraction methods are far safer. One of the main benefits of sulfur’s natural abundance is that is not necessary to produce it in a lab. The two most common methods of extracting sulfur are as a byproduct of industrial processes and with the Frasch process. The Frasch process was developed by the German chemical engineer Herman Frasch (1851-1914) in 1891. With this method, elemental sulfur can be extracted from deep underground deposits. The key to the Frasch process is sulfur’s low melting point of 112° C.

When superheated water and compressed air are pumped down into underground sulfur deposits, a frothy mixture is created that can be pumped up to the surface as liquid sulfur. This process allows for the extraction of nearly pure sulfur without the need for mining. Sulfur is also extracted as a byproduct of industry. When fossil fuels are burned at power plants, sulfur is recovered from the smokestacks by ?scrubbing? the gases from power stations and metal refineries with an alkaline suspension of limewater. Sources of industrial emissions of sulfur include coal burning power plants, diesel fuel vehicles, wood pulping, paper production, petroleum, metal refining, and smelting. However, the bulk of industrial emissions come from the combustion of fossil fuels, which accounts for approximately 85 percent of the total. In the US, close to two-thirds of all SO2 emissions come from electric power plants. Sulfur’s most significant environmental impact is the result of acid depositions, known as acid rain. The half-life of sulfur pollutants is six to ten days. During this half-life, sulfur pollutants are oxidized to form sulfuric acid. The acid then falls to the earth as acid rain.

While the half-life of sulfur pollutants is relatively short, sulfur aerosol clouds can persist in the atmosphere for more than a year (aerosols are a gaseous suspension of fine, solid, or liquid particles). During that time, winds above the Earth’s boundary layer can transport sulfur and nitrogen aerosols over very large distances and cause acid rain in regions far removed from the source of the emissions. On cloudy, still days cities like London and Los Angeles are plagued by smog which can cause sulfur concentrations of 100 parts per billion or more. Total man-made emissions of sulfur have roughly tripled since 1900, but increased awareness and new mitigating technologies are beginning to reduce emissions. The Economic Commission for Europe and the US Environmental Protection Agency have established goals for sulfur dioxide reduction, and progress has been made. For example, statistics from the EPA show that a combination of factors has lead to about a 35 percent reduction of ambient SO2 and sulfate levels in the Eastern United States between 1993 and 2003. However, emissions from Asia, South America and Africa are expected to rise. There are also some promising new technologies for reducing sulfur emissions from industrial sources. The ?airborne process?

for example, is being used in coal-fueled power plants to reduce SO2 emissions up to 99.5 percent. Another sulfur reduction method blends high-sulfur coal with low sulfur coal to reduce the total amount of sulfur oxide. Electrostatic precipitators built into chimneystacks use static electrical charges to precipitate sulfur particles from flue gases. A method known as ?scrubbing? smoke stacks is also an effective way to reduce emissions with the added benefit of paying for itself from the sale of the recovered sulfur. Desulphurization is the removal of sulfur, using hydrogen and a catalyst from fossil fuels to prevent the release of sulfur dioxide when fuel is burned. Other developments such as biodiesel can also help reduce vehicle emissions, which would be especially helpful in decreasing smog in urban areas. Recommended Resources This report from the Environmental Protection Agency shows the progress of emissions reduction programs for all Title IV (Clean Air Act) sources. References Bailey, N., Brady, J., Copper White, P., Daintith, E., Giles, B, Johnson, J, Nelis, R. and Stokes, J. eds. The Facts on File Chemistry Handbook. New York: Checkmark Books, 2001.

Cobb, Cathy and Goldwhite, Harold. Creations of Fire: Chemistry’s Lively History from Alchemy to the Atomic Age. New York: Plenum Press, 1995. Knapp, Brian. Sulfur. Connecticut: Grolier Educational, 1996. Strehlow, Roger A. Combustion Fundamentals. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994. Stwertka, Albert. A Guide to the Elements, Second Edition. New York: Oxford, 2002. Related Content sulfur (S) | chemical element | Britannica.com chemical element Alternative Titles: brimstone, S, sulphur Related Topics matter Sulfur (S), also spelled sulphur, nonmetallic chemical element belonging to the oxygen group (Group 16 [VIa] of the periodic table), one of the most reactive of the elements. 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.

Millions of tons of sulfur are produced each year, mostly for the manufacture of sulfuric acid, which is widely used in industry. Sulfur crystals from Sicily (greatly enlarged) Courtesy of the Illinois State Museum; photograph, John H. Gerard/EB Inc. In cosmic abundance, sulfur ranks ninth among the elements, accounting for only one atom of every 20,000–30,000. Sulfur occurs in the uncombined state as well as in combination with other elements in rocks and minerals that are widely distributed, although it is classified among the minor constituents of Earth ’s crust, in which its proportion is estimated to be between 0.03 and 0.06 percent. On the basis of the finding that certain meteorites contain about 12 percent sulfur, it has been suggested that deeper layers of Earth contain a much larger proportion. Seawater contains about 0.09 percent sulfur in the form of sulfate. In underground deposits of very pure sulfur that are present in domelike geologic structures, the sulfur is believed to have been formed by the action of bacteria upon the mineral anhydrite , in which sulfur is combined with oxygen and calcium .

Deposits of sulfur in volcanic regions probably originated from gaseous hydrogen sulfide generated below the surface of Earth and transformed into sulfur by reaction with the oxygen in the air. Boiling pots of molten sulfur on the slope of the Nikko volcano near the Mariana Islands. Major funding for this expedition was provided by NOAA Ocean Exploration Program and NOAA Vents Program; video clips edited by Bill Chadwick, Oregon State University/NOAA One arm of the Jason remotely operated vehicle breaking through the thin crust on a deposit of … Major funding for this expedition was provided by NOAA Ocean Exploration Program and NOAA Vents Program; video clips edited by Bill Chadwick, Oregon State University/NOAA History boron (B) The history of sulfur is part of antiquity. The name itself probably found its way into Latin from the language of the Oscans, an ancient people who inhabited the region including Vesuvius, where sulfur deposits are widespread. Prehistoric humans used sulfur as a pigment for cave painting; one of the first recorded instances of the art of medication is in the use of sulfur as a tonic. organosulfur compound: The sulfur atom The combustion of sulfur had a role in Egyptian religious ceremonials as early as 4,000 years ago.

“Fire and brimstone” references in the Bible are related to sulfur, suggesting that “hell’s fires” are fuelled by sulfur. The beginnings of practical and industrial uses of sulfur are credited to the Egyptians, who used sulfur dioxide for bleaching cotton as early as 1600 bce. Greek mythology includes sulfur chemistry: Homer tells of Odysseus’ use of sulfur dioxide to fumigate a chamber in which he had slain his wife’s suitors. The use of sulfur in explosives and fire displays dates to about 500 bc in China, and flame-producing agents used in warfare (Greek fire) were prepared with sulfur in the Middle Ages. Pliny the Elder in 50 ce reported a number of individual uses of sulfur and ironically was himself killed, in all probability by sulfur fumes, at the time of the great Vesuvius eruption (79 ce). Sulfur was regarded by the alchemists as the principle of combustibility. Lavoisier recognized it as an element in 1777, although it was considered by some to be a compound of hydrogen and oxygen; its elemental nature was established by the French chemists Joseph Gay-Lussac and Louis Thenard.

Natural occurrence and distribution Periodic Table of the Elements Many important metal ores are compounds of sulfur, either sulfides or sulfates. Some important examples are galena (lead sulfide, PbS), blende (zinc sulfide, ZnS), pyrite (iron disulfide, FeS2), chalcopyrite (copper iron sulfide, CuFeS2), gypsum (calcium sulfate dihydrate, CaSO4∙2H2O) and barite (barium sulfate, BaSO4). The sulfide ores are valued chiefly for their metal content, although a process developed in the 18th century for making sulfuric acid utilized sulfur dioxide obtained by burning pyrite. Coal, petroleum , and natural gas contain sulfur compounds. Allotropy Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent In sulfur, allotropy arises from two sources: (1) the different modes of bonding atoms into a single molecule and (2) packing of polyatomic sulfur molecules into different crystalline and amorphous forms. Some 30 allotropic forms of sulfur have been reported, but some of these probably represent mixtures.

Only eight of the 30 seem to be unique; five contain rings of sulfur atoms and the others contain chains. In the rhombohedral allotrope, designated ρ-sulfur, the molecules are composed of rings of six sulfur atoms. This form is prepared by treating sodium thiosulfate with cold, concentrated hydrochloric acid , extracting the residue with toluene , and evaporating the solution to give hexagonal crystals. ρ-sulfur is unstable, eventually reverting to orthorhombic sulfur (α-sulfur). A second general allotropic class of sulfur is that of the eight-membered ring molecules, three crystalline forms of which have been well characterized. One is the orthorhombic (often improperly called rhombic) form, α-sulfur. It is stable at temperatures below 96 °C. Another of the crystalline S8 ring allotropes is the monoclinic or β-form, in which two of the axes of the crystal are perpendicular, but the third forms an oblique angle with the first two. There are still some uncertainties concerning its structure; this modification is stable from 96 °C to the melting point , 118.9 °C.

A second monoclinic cyclooctasulfur allotrope is the γ-form, unstable at all temperatures, quickly transforming to α-sulfur. An orthorhombic modification, S12 ring molecules, and still another unstable S10 ring allotrope are reported. The latter reverts to polymeric sulfur and S8. At temperatures above 96 °C, the α-allotrope changes into the β-allotrope. If enough time is allowed for this transition to occur completely, further heating causes melting to occur at 118.9 °C; but if the α-form is heated so rapidly that the transformation to β-form does not have time to occur, the α-form melts at 112.8 °C. Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest Just above its melting point, sulfur is a yellow, transparent, mobile liquid. Upon further heating, the viscosity of the liquid decreases gradually to a minimum at about 157 °C, but then rapidly increases, reaching a maximum value at about 187 °C; between this temperature and the boiling point of 444.6 °C, the viscosity decreases.

The colour also changes, deepening from yellow through dark red, and, finally, to black at about 250 °C. The variations in both colour and viscosity are considered to result from changes in the molecular structure. A decrease in viscosity as temperature increases is typical of liquids, but the increase in the viscosity of sulfur above 157 °C probably is caused by rupturing of the eight-membered rings of sulfur atoms to form reactive S8 units that join together in long chains containing many thousands of atoms. The liquid then assumes the high viscosity characteristic of such structures. At a sufficiently high temperature, all of the cyclic molecules are broken, and the length of the chains reaches a maximum. Beyond that temperature, the chains break down into small fragments. Upon vaporization, cyclic molecules (S8 and S6) are formed again; at about 900 °C, S2 is the predominant form; finally, monatomic sulfur is formed at temperatures above 1,800 °C. Commercial production Elemental sulfur is found in volcanic regions as a deposit formed by the emission of hydrogen sulfide, followed by aerial oxidation to the element.

Underground deposits of sulfur associated with salt domes in limestone rock provide a substantial portion of the world’s supply of the element. These domes are located in the Louisiana swamplands of the United States and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico . Where deposits of sulfur are located in salt domes, as they are along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the element was recovered by the Frasch process , named after German-born U.S. chemist Herman Frasch . Ordinary underground mining procedures were inapplicable since highly poisonous hydrogen sulfide gas accompanies the element in the domes. Beginning in 1894, the Frasch process, which takes advantage of the low melting point of sulfur (112 °C), made sulfur of a high purity (up to 99.9 percent pure) available in large quantities and helped establish sulfur as an important basic chemical commodity. Wells were drilled from 60 to 600 m (200 to 2,000 feet) into the sulfur formation and then lined with a 15-cm (6-inch) pipe in which an air pipe and a water pipe of smaller diameter were concentrically placed.

Superheated water, injected into the circular space between the three- and six-inch pipes, penetrated the cap rock through holes on the bottom of the pipe. As the sulfur melted, it settled to the bottom of the deposit. From there it was pumped to the surface by applying air pressure through the central pipe. Several such wells operated under the ocean floor in the Gulf of Mexico. The sulfur was collected in reservoirs, or sumps, and from there transferred to vats or bins to solidify for storage and stockpiling. Vats contained as much as 300,000 tons of sulfur. Frasch-process sulfur produced at the Gulf Coast salt domes constituted the major source of U.S. sulfur production and dominated the world market until approximately 1970. Thereafter, non-Frasch sources such as the purification of sour (high sulfur-content) petroleum, the refining of natural gas, and improved methods for obtaining sulfur from metal sulfides gained a greater share of the market. The Frasch process is still used today in Poland and Russia.

Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies About 9,000,000 tons of sulfur are recovered in the United States each year from natural gas, petroleum refinery gases, pyrites, and smelter gases from the processing of copper , zinc , and lead ores. In most cases sulfur is separated from other gases as hydrogen sulfide and then converted to elemental sulfur by the Claus process, which involves the partial burning of hydrogen sulfide to sulfur dioxide, with subsequent reaction between the two to yield sulfur. Another important source is the sulfur dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by coal-fired steam power plants. In the early 1970s techniques to collect this sulfur dioxide and convert it into usable sulfur were developed. Trending Topics Opium Wars A few of the non-Frasch processes for sulfur production may be mentioned. Sulfur-bearing rock is piled into mounds. Shafts are bored vertically and fires set at the top of the shafts. The burning sulfur provides sufficient heat to melt the elemental sulfur in the rock layers below, and it flows out at the bottom of the pile. This is an old process, still used to some extent in Sicily .

The product is of low purity and must be refined by distillation. The air pollution in the area of the process is so great that its operation is limited to certain times of the year when prevailing winds will carry the fumes away from populated areas. Rock bearing sulfur is treated with superheated water in retorts, melting the sulfur, which flows out. This process is a modification of the Frasch method. Sulfates (such as gypsum or barite) may be treated with carbon at high temperatures, forming the metal sulfides CaS or BaS (the Chance-Claus process). The metal sulfides can be treated with acid, generating hydrogen sulfide, which in turn can be burned to give elemental sulfur. Tremendous tonnages of sulfur are available from smelter operations and from power production by combustion of fossil and sour petroleum fuels, some of which contain as much as 4 percent sulfur. Thus, generation of electrical power and heat represent a major source of atmospheric pollution by sulfur dioxide. Unfortunately, recovery and purification of sulfur dioxide from stack gases are expensive operations.

Wherever such metals as lead, zinc, copper, cadmium , or nickel (among others) are processed, much of the sulfuric acid needed in the metallurgical operations may be obtained on the site by converting sulfur dioxide, produced by roasting the ores, to sulfur trioxide, SO3, and thence to sulfuric acid. Sulfur available in bulk from commercial production usually is more than 99 percent pure, and some grades contain 99.9 percent sulfur. For research purposes, the proportion of impurities has been reduced to as little as one part in 10,000,000 by the application of procedures such as zone melting, column chromatography, electrolysis, or fractional distillation. China, Canada, Germany and Japan led the world in sulfur production in the early 21st century. Uses of sulfur Sulfur is so widely used in industrial processes that its consumption often is regarded as a reliable indicator of industrial activity and the state of the national economy. Approximately six-sevenths of all the sulfur produced is converted into sulfuric acid , for which the largest single use is in the manufacture of fertilizers (phosphates and ammonium sulfate).

Other important uses include the production of pigments, detergents, fibres, petroleum products, sheet metal, explosives, and storage batteries; hundreds of other applications are known. Sulfur not converted to sulfuric acid is used in making paper , insecticides, fungicides, dyestuffs, and numerous other products. Compounds Sulfur forms compounds in oxidation states −2 (sulfide, S2−), +4 (sulfite, SO32−), and +6 (sulfate, SO42−). It combines with nearly all elements. An unusual feature of some sulfur compounds results from the fact that sulfur is second only to carbon in exhibiting catenation—i.e., the bonding of an atom to another identical atom. This allows sulfur atoms to form ring systems and chain structures. The more significant sulfur compounds and compound groups are as follows. One of the most familiar sulfur compounds is hydrogen sulfide , also known as sulfureted hydrogen, or stinkdamp, H2S, the colourless, extremely poisonous gas responsible for the characteristic odour of rotten eggs. It is produced naturally by the decay of organic substances containing sulfur and is often present in vapours from volcanoes and mineral waters.

Large amounts of hydrogen sulfide are obtained in the removal of sulfur from petroleum. It was formerly used extensively in chemical laboratories as an analytical reagent. All the metals except gold and platinum combine with sulfur to form inorganic sulfides. Such sulfides are ionic compounds containing the negatively charged sulfide ion S2−; these compounds may be considered as salts of hydrogen sulfide. Some inorganic sulfides are important ores of such metals as iron, nickel, copper, cobalt , zinc, and lead. Several oxides are formed by sulfur and oxygen; the most important is the heavy, colourless, poisonous gas sulfur dioxide , SO2. It is used primarily as a precursor of sulfur trioxide, SO3, and thence sulfuric acid, H2SO4. It is also utilized as a bleach and an industrial reducing agent. Other noteworthy applications include its use in food preservation and for fruit ripening. (See also sulfur oxide .) Sulfur forms a wide variety of compounds with halogen elements. In combination with chlorine it yields sulfur chlorides such as disulfur dichloride, S2Cl2, a corrosive, golden-yellow liquid used in the manufacture of chemical products.

It reacts with ethylene to produce mustard gas, and with unsaturated acids derived from fats it forms oily products that are basic components of lubricants. With fluorine , sulfur forms sulfur fluorides, the most useful of which is sulfur hexafluoride , SF6, a gas employed as an insulator in various electrical devices. Sulfur also forms oxyhalides, in which the sulfur atom is bonded to both oxygen and halogen atoms. When such compounds are named, the term thionyl is used to designate those containing the SO unit and the term sulfuryl for those with SO2. Thionyl chloride , SOCl2, is a dense, toxic, volatile liquid used in organic chemistry to convert carboxylic acids and alcohols into chlorine-containing compounds. Sulfuryl chloride, SO2Cl2, is a liquid of similar physical properties utilized in the preparation of certain compounds that contain sulfur, chlorine, or both. Sulfur forms some 16 oxygen-bearing acids. Only four or five of them, however, have been prepared in the pure state. These acids, particularly sulfurous acid and sulfuric acid, are of considerable importance to the chemical industry.

Sulfurous acid, H2SO3, is produced when sulfur dioxide is added to water. Its most important salt is sodium sulfite, Na2SO3, a reducing agent employed in the manufacture of paper pulp, in photography, and in the removal of oxygen from boiler feedwater. Sulfuric acid is one of the most valuable of all chemicals. Prepared commercially by the reaction of water with sulfur trioxide, the compound is used in manufacturing fertilizers, pigments, dyes, drugs, explosives, detergents, and inorganic salts and esters. The organic compounds of sulfur constitute a diverse and important subdivision of organic substances. Some examples include the sulfur-containing amino acids (e.g., cysteine , methionine , and taurine), which are key components of hormones, enzymes, and coenzymes. Significant, too, are the synthetic organic sulfur compounds, among them numerous pharmaceuticals (sulfa drugs, dermatological agents), insecticides, solvents, and agents such as those used in preparing rubber and rayon .

Question: The Frasch process is used to extract what chemical element from underground deposits?
Answer: SULPHUR