Abstract
Sulfur is one of the few elements that is found in its elemental form in nature. Typical sulfur deposits occur in sedimentary limestone/gypsum formations, in limestone/anhydrite formations associated with salt domes, or in volcanic rock.1 A yellow solid at normal temperatures, sulfur becomes progressively lighter in color at lower temperatures and is almost white at the temperature of liquid air. It melts at 114–119°C (depending on crystalline form) to a transparent light yellow liquid as the temperature is increased. The low viscosity of the liquid begins to rise sharply above 160°C, peaking at 93 Pa·s at 188°C, and then falling as the temperature continues to rise to its boiling point of 445°C. This and other anomalous properties of the liquid state are due to equilibria between the various molecular species of sulfur, which includes small chains and rings.
The authors wish to acknowledge that major portions of this chapter are taken from the ninth edition version (1992) which was written by Dr Robin W. Strickland.
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d’Aquin, G.E., Fell, R.C. (2007). Sulfur and Sulfuric Acid. In: Kent, J.A. (eds) Kent and Riegel’s Handbook of Industrial Chemistry and Biotechnology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-27843-8_25
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