Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Sources of Sulphur
Sources of Sulphur
(1). Extraction from beneath the earth crust - this is the most important source.
(2). From natural gas - this is the second most important source. The natural gas is found in southern
France, in a place called Lacq.
(3). From other processes - example, as a by-product of the purification of crude coal gas and the refining
of petroleum.
Properties of Sulphur
Physical Properties
(1). Sulphur is a yellow solid and is insoluble in water but soluble in carbon disulphide and toluene (methyl
benzene).
(2). Sulphur is a non-metal and therefore a poor conductor of heat and electricity.
(3). The boiling point of sulphur is 444oC. When sulphur vapour is condensed, a fine powder, which forms
a floral pattern is obtained - this is called ‘flower of sulphur.
Chemical Properties
Example: in the absence of air, sulphur combines directly with most metals to form suphides when heated
Note: the reactive elements, like Na and K may react with sulphur spontaneously (without heating)
(2). Sulphur burns in excess of air with a bright blue flame, to form sulphur(IV) oxide and a little quantity of
sulphur(VI) oxide.
(3). Sulphur combines slowly at high temperature with hydrogen, to form hydrogen sulphide.
Note:
* With hot concentrated H2SO4, suphur is oxidized to suphur(IV) oxide, SO2, while the acid is reduced to
SO2.
* With hot conc. HNO3 using bromine as catalyst, sulphur is oxidized to tetraoxosulphate(VI) acid.
* With dilute acids and with conc. HCl - no reaction with sulphur.
With hot conc. alkalis, sulphur forms a mixture of sulphides and sulphate(IV). Polysulphide and
thiosulphate(VI) are formed in the presence of excess sulphur.
Allotropes of Sulphur
Sulphur exists in different forms (in the same physical state). There are two important crystalline forms -
rhombic or octahedral (α - sulphur), and monoclinic sulphur (β - sulphur).
Note: one important difference between these two forms of crystalline sulphur is temperature.
Rhombic sulphur crystallizes at temperature below 96oC, while monoclinic sulphur crystallizes at
temperature above 96oC.
The temperature, 96oC is called the transitional temperature between the two forms.
The table below gives a summary of the differences between the two forms of sulphur:
Another allotrope of sulphur is polymeric sulphur(s 8). It is an eight member ring molecule. At temperature
of 160oC or higher, the sulphur molecule is energized and eventually ruptures.
An evidence of the above being allotropes is that each one can be converted to the other without a
change in mass. If equal masses of the allotropes are converted into a given compound, example, H 2S,
the same masses of products are obtained.
Below is a summary of the properties of both rhombic and monoclinic sulphur
Rhombic Sulphur
Monoclinic Sulpur
Uses of Sulphur
(2). To manufacture tetraoxosulphate(VI) acid - this is the most important use of sulphur.
(3). To manufacture calcium hydrogen trioxosulphate(IV), Ca(HSO 3)2 - this is used as a bleacher of wood
pulp in the making of paper.
(4). To vulcanize rubber, that is, to make rubber hard and tough by binding rubber molecules together.
(6). In the manufacture of sulphur compounds, such as carbon disulphide, CS 2 and sulphur monochloride,
S2Cl2 - a solvent for rubber, which is also used in the vulcanization of rubber.
(8). As sulphide, example phosphorus sulphide, which is used in making fireworks, matches and gun
powder.