Sulfur (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what sulfur is, and what its characteristics and properties are. In addition, you will understand what it is for and where this element is located.

Sulfur is formed in massive stars and on Earth it is found in volcanic regions.

What is sulfur?

Sulfur is a chemical element of the Periodic Table that is represented with the symbol S. It has atomic number 16 and atomic mass 32,065 amu. It is a non-metallic element that can be found in bright yellow, brown or orange.

Sulfur is a chemical element that forms in massive stars, and on Earth it is found mainly in volcanic regions. It is widely used in the production of fertilizers.

Sulfur can form different simple substances whose structures depend on how the sulfur atoms are bonded. These different simple substances are called allotropes, and they are formed when atoms of the same element bond in different ways. The best-known allotropes of sulfur are monoclinic sulfur and orthorhombic sulfur and their structures are represented as:

Sulfur properties

Sulfur has different physical properties that depend on the allotrope it forms, although many allotropes of sulfur are still poorly understood. On the other hand, sulfur has various chemical reactions that depend on the type of chemical compound in which it is present.

Physical properties of sulfur

Some physical properties of sulfur are:

It is a non-metal.
It usually has a yellow, orange or brown color.
It has a smell similar to rotten egg.
Its best-known allotropes are the orthorhombic octahedron and the monoclinic prism.
It is insoluble in water, but dissolves in carbon disulfide (CS₂).
In all states of aggregation it forms S molecules.₈.

Chemical properties of sulfur

Some chemical properties of sulfur are:

It mainly has oxidation states -2, +2, +4 and +6. But it also forms chemical compounds in which it acts with oxidation states -1, 0, +1, +3 and +5.
Reacts with oxygen producing sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and a blue flame.

What is sulfur used for?

Sulfur and the chemical compounds it forms are used in many industrial processes. It is used:

To produce sulfuric acid, which is an essential chemical compound in many industries.
In the photographic industry (sulfur compounds such as sodium thiosulfate (Na) are used₂Yes₂EITHER₃) and ammonium ((NH₄)₂Yes₂EITHER₃)).
In the form of sulfites for paper whitening and as food antioxidants.
As a laxative and exfoliant when it is part of magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄).
For the manufacture of glass when it is part of copper (II) sulfate (CuSO₄).
In the production of pesticides and fertilizers.
In the manufacture of gunpowder.
In the production of fungicides.
As an antiseptic.
As refrigerant gas.
In the oil refining process.

Where is sulfur found?

Sulfur is abundant in the Earth's crust.

Sulfur is a fairly abundant element in the Earth's crust. It is found in its elemental form and in greater quantities in volcanic areas and near hot springs.

It is also found forming sulfides, which are part of the minerals pyrite and galena, and sulfates, which are part of the mineral aljez. Besides, Sulfur is present in fossil fuels such as oil and coal and is also found in natural gas.

On the other hand, some proteins that are part of living organisms contain sulfur since it is one of the elements that form the amino acids methionine and cysteine, which are units that form proteins.

Chemical compounds containing sulfur

Sulfur forms different chemical compounds that differ in their structure, appearance and applications. Some chemical compounds that contain sulfur are:

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) It is a colorless gas with a smell similar to rotten eggs. Additionally, it is very poisonous.
Carbon disulfide (CS₂) It is a liquid widely used as a solvent for sulfur and phosphorus.
Metal sulfides They are compounds that can be found in many minerals such as Acanthite, which contains silver sulfide (Ag₂S), chalcosine, which contains copper (I) sulfide (Cu₂S), covellina, which contains copper (II) sulfide and galena, which contains lead (II) sulfide (PbS).
Phosphorus sulfides Chief among these compounds are tetraphosphorus trisulfide (P₄Yes₃), tetraphosphorus pentasulfide (P₄Yes₅), tetraphosphorus heptasulfide (P₄Yes₇) and tetraphosphorus decasulfide (P₄Yes₁₀). They are yellow, crystalline compounds that can be used to convert alcohols into their corresponding sulfur compounds.
Sulfur oxides The main sulfur oxides are sulfur monoxide (SO), sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and sulfur trioxide (SO₃). Specifically the OS₂ and the OS₃ are very important in industry, especially to produce sulfuric acid (H₂SW₄).
Sulfuric acid (H₂SW₄) It is a viscous liquid that reacts strongly with many metals. It is used in an infinite number of industrial processes, to the point that the economy of some countries was measured based on the amount of sulfuric acid they produce.
Halogenated derivatives They are compounds formed by sulfur and halogens (chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), fluorine (F)). The main ones are sulfur monosulfide (S₂F₂), sulfur disulfide (SF₂), sulfur tetrafluoride (SF₄), sulfur monochloride (S₂CL₂), sulfur dichloride (SCl₂) and sulfur monobromide (S₂Br₂). In the case of sulfur monochlorides, they are used as solvents for organic compounds.

Sulfur isotopes

Isotopes are atoms of the same chemical element that have the same number of protons in their nucleus, but a different number of neutrons. There are 25 known isotopes of sulfur, of which most are radioactive and unstable, so they exist for a very short time.

The stable isotopes of sulfur are:

Sulfur-32 (³²S)
Sulfur-33 (³³S)
Sulfur-34 (³⁴S)
Sulfur-36 (³⁶S)

Environmental effects of sulfur

Sulfur is part of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and sulfur trioxide (SO₃), which are gases emitted into the atmosphere due to the burning of sulfur-containing petroleum products. These products are burned in plants that produce electricity, in vehicles and in different industries.

When the OS₂ and the OS₃ present in the atmosphere react with atmospheric water, producing sulfurous acid (H₂SW₃) and sulfuric acid (H₂SW₄), which fall with rainwater to the surface of the Earth, causing the so-called acid rain. Acid rain causes damage to living beings in general to the soils and to the constructions made by man.

On the other hand, hydrogen sulfide (H₂Yes_(ac)) is an extremely toxic compound that if released into the environment can cause the death of living beings and damage the environment around them.

Sulfur cycle

The sulfur cycle is the process of sulfur circulation on planet Earth. In this way, sulfur is transported between living beings and the environment that surrounds them. The sulfur cycle is made up of different stages:

Release to the atmosphere As a result of man's industrial activity and the eruption of volcanoes, sulfur is released in the form of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) to the atmosphere.
Absorption by plants Plants incorporate sulfur into their bodies in the form of sulfate ions (SO₄^2-) that contains soil and water.
Consumption by animals Herbivorous animals incorporate sulfur into their bodies when they eat plants that contain sulfur. Carnivorous animals then incorporate sulfur when they eat herbivorous animals.
Decomposition and release to the soil Some microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi decompose dead plants and animals. During this decomposition, these microorganisms transform the sulfide ions (S^2-) in sulfates (SO₄^2-), the sulfates being absorbed again by the plants.

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References

Sánchez, J., Romieu, I., Ruiz, S., Pino, P., & Gutiérrez, M. (1999). Acute effects of respirable particles and sulfur dioxide on respiratory health in children from the industrial area of Puchuncaví, Chile. Pan American Journal of Public Health, 6(6)384-391.
Goya, P., Román, P., & Elguero, J. (2019). The periodic table of chemical elements. The waterfall books.
Holguín Quiñones, S., & Estrada Guerrero, JM (2009). Oxygen, sulfur and acid-base theories. Institutional repository. Metropolitan autonomous university.