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SULFUR

(Sanskrit sulvere; L. sulphurium)

S  at. wt. 32.064
   at. no. 16
   m.p. (rhombic) 112.8°C
   b.p. (monoclinic) 119.0°C
   sp. gr. (rhombic) 2.07
   sp. gr. (monoclinic) 1.957
   valence 2, 4, or 6.
Electronic configuration
 SHELL  K L M N O P Q
 SUB  SHELL He Neon Argon Krypton Xenon Radon Eka-radon
1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 3d 4s 4p 4d 5s 5p 4f 5d 6s 6p 5f 6d 7s 7p
Sulfur 1s22s22p63s23p4        
Symbol 3P2
Sulfur; Known to the ancients; referred to in Genesis as brimstone. Sulfur is found in meteorites. A dark area near the crater Aristarchus on the moon has been studied by R. W. Wood with ultraviolet light. This study suggests strongly that it is a sulfur deposit. Sulfur occurs native in the vicinity of volcanoes, and hot springs. It is widely distributed in nature as iron pyrites, galena, sphalerite, cinnabar, stibnite, gypsum, epsom salts, celestite, barite, etc. Sulfur is commercially recovered from wells sunk into the salt domes along the Gulf Coast of the U.S. It is obtained from these wells by the Frasch process, which forces heated water into the wells to melt the sulfur, which is then brought to the surface. Sulfur also occurs ja natutal gas and petroleum crudes and must be removed from these products. Formerly this was done chemically, which wasted the sulfur. New processes now permit re- covery, and these sources promise to be very important. Large amounts of sulfur are being' recovered from Alberta gas fields. Sulfur is a pale yell6~, odorless, brittle solid, which is insoluble in water, but soluble in carbon disulfide. In every state, whether gas, liquid, or solid, elemental sulfur occurs in more than one allotropic form or modification; these present a confusing multitude of forms whose rela- tions are not yet fully understood. Amorphous or "plastic" sulfur is obtained by fast cooling of the crystalline form. X-ray studies indicate that amorphous sulfur may have a helical structure with eight atoms per spiral. Crystalline sulfur seems to be 'made of rings, each containing eight sulfur atoms, which fit together to give a normal x-ray pattern. Ten isotopes of sulfur exist. Four occur in natural sulfur, none of which is radioactive. A finely divided form of sulfur, known asfiowers ofsulfur, is obtained by sublima- tion. Sulfur readily forms sulfides with many elements. Sulfur is a component of black gunpowder, is used in the vulcanization of natural rubber, and is used as a fungicide'. It is also used extensively in making phosphatic fertilizers. A tremendous tonnage is used to produce sulfuric acid, the most important manufactured chemical. It is used in making sulfite paper and other papers, is used as a fumigant, and in the bleaching of dried fruits. The element is a good electrical insulator. Organic compounds containing sulfur are very imp6rtant.~ Calcium sulfate, ammonium 'sulfate, carbon disulfide, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide are but a few B-31 of the other many important compounds of sulfur. S~tlfur is essential to life. It is a minor constituent of fats, body fluids, and skeletal minerals. Carbon disulfide, hydrogen sulfide,~ and sulfur dioxide should be handled carefully. Hydrogen sutfide' in small concentrations can be meta- bolized, but in higher concentrations it quickly can cause death by respiratory paralysis. ~lt is insidious in thai it quickly deadens the sense of smell. Sulfur dioxide is a dan- gerous component in atmospheric air pollution. High- purity sulfur is commercially available in purities Of 99.999+ %.

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