sulfhur

Sulphur
Big Photo

Cozzodisi Mine, Casteltermini, Agrigento Province, Sicily, Italy
© Peter Haas
Show Sulphur Photos (630)
Formula:
S

8

System: Orthorhombic Colour: Yellow, sulphur-yellow, ...
Lustre: Resinous, Greasy Hardness: 1½ - 2½
Name: From Middle English "sulphur", brimstone.
Dimorph of: Rosickýite


Sulphur Group.

Crystals are usually yellow to yellowish-brown blocky dipyramids, with thick tabular and disphenoidal crystals less common. Also found more typically as powdery yellow coatings. Native sulphur is usually formed from volcanic action - as a sublimate from volcanic gasses associated with realgar, cinnabar and other minerals. It is also found in some vein deposits and as an alteration product of sulphide minerals. It can also be formed biogenically.
NOTE: The American spelling is 'sulfur'.

Classification of Sulphur
IMA status: Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID: 1/0.0-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID: 1.CC.05

1 : ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
C : Metalloids and Nonmetals
C : Sulfur-selenium-iodine
Dana 7th edition ID: 1.3.4.1
Dana 8th edition ID: 1.3.5.1

1 : NATIVE ELEMENTS AND ALLOYS
3 : Semi-metals and non-metals
Hey's CIM Ref.: 1.51

1 : Elements and Alloys (including the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au)
mindat.org URL: http://www.mindat.org/min-3826.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Occurrences of Sulphur
Geological Setting: Usually formed from volcanic action - as a sublimate from volcanic gasses associated with realgar, cinnabar and other minerals. It is also found in some vein deposits and as an alteration product of sulphide minerals. It can also be formed biogenically - a major source being salt domes, where it has formed by the bacterial decomposition of calcium sulfate.
Physical Properties of Sulphur
Lustre: Resinous, Greasy
Diaphaneity (Transparency): Transparent, Translucent
Colour: Yellow, sulphur-yellow, brownish or greenish yellow, orange, white
Streak: Colourless
Hardness (Mohs): 1½ - 2½
Hardness Data: Measured
Tenacity: Brittle
Cleavage: Imperfect/Fair
Imperfect on {001}, {110} and {111}.
Parting: Parting on {111}
Fracture: Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal
Comment: Also can be somewhat sectile
Density (measured): 2.07 g/cm3
Density (calculated): 2.076 g/cm3
Crystallography of Sulphur
Crystal System: Orthorhombic
Class (H-M): mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal
Space Group: Fddd {F2/d 2/d 2/d}
Cell Parameters: a = 10.468Å, b = 12.870Å, c = 24.49Å
Ratio: a:b:c = 0.813 : 1 : 1.903
Unit Cell Volume: V 3,299.37 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z: 128
Morphology: Over 50 forms have been noted, blocky dipyramidal ones most common, also tabular and sphenoidal; also found as powdery coatings, massive material, and in reniform and stalactic forms.
Twinning: On {101}{011}{110} rare.
Crystal Atlas:
Image Loading
Click on an icon to view
Sulfur no.1 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Sulfur no.8 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Sulfur no.81 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Sulfur no.116 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
About Crystal Atlas
You may need to scroll this box using your mouse to view the full instructions.

The mindat.org Crystal Atlas allows you to view a selection of crystal drawings of real and idealised crystal forms for this mineral and, in certain cases, 3d rotating crystal objects. You need Java to see these. You can download Java for free - click here to download Java

The 3d models and java code are kindly provided by www.smorf.nl. You can control the movement of the models by holding down the left mouse-button over the 3d model and moving your mouse. Keyboard controls are:

: default positions
t/T : decrease/increase transparency x/X : next/previous texture
b/B : next/previous background w : toggle wireframe
s : toggle sticks m : toggle miller indices
k : toggle crystallographic axes =/- : zoom in/out
r : stop/start rotation 1/2/3
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
Image Loading

Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Horizontal Axis: ° to ° Vertical Axis: % Source Data: Filtered Data: Peaks:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
d-spacing Intensity
3.85 (100)
3.44 (40)
3.33 (30)
3.21 (60)
3.11 (30)
3.08 (20)
2.84 (20)
2.62 (10)
Comments: Data given are for synthetic mateiral.
Optical Data of Sulphur
Type: Biaxial (+)
RI values: nα = 1.958 nβ = 2.038 nγ = 2.245
2V: Measured: 68° , Calculated: 70°
Maximum Birefringence: δ = 0.287

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief: Very High
Dispersion: relatively weak r< v
Pleochroism: Visible
Chemical Properties of Sulphur
Formula:
S

8

Essential elements: S
All elements listed in formula: S
Analytical Data: Sulfur, orthorhombic, is alpha-S, while rosickyite, monoclinic, is gamma-S.

Common Impurities: Se,Te
Relationship of Sulphur to other Species
Member of Group:
Sulphur Group :
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
1.CC.05 Rosickýite
S
1.CC.10 Selenium
Se
1.CC.10 Tellurium
Te
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
1.1 Copper
Cu
1.2 Silver
Ag
1.5 Gold
Au
1.6 Auricupride
Cu

3
Au
1.7 Tetra-auricupride
AuCu
1.8 Zinc
Zn
1.9 Cadmium
Cd
1.10 Danbaite
CuZn

2

1.11 Zhanghengite
CuZn
1.12 Mercury
Hg
1.13 Kolymite
Cu

7
Hg

6

1.14 Moschellandsbergite
Ag

2
Hg

3

1.15 Eugenite
Ag

11
Hg

2

1.16 Schachnerite
Ag

1.1
Hg

0.9

1.17 Paraschachnerite
Ag

3
Hg

2

1.18 Luanheite
Ag

3
Hg
1.19 Weishanite
(Au,Ag)

3
Hg

2

1.20 Indium
In
1.21 Aluminium
Al
1.22 Khatyrkite
(Cu,Zn)Al

2

1.23 Cupalite
(Cu,Zn)Al
1.24 Diamond
C
1.25 Graphite
C
1.26 Chaoite
C
1.27 Lonsdaleite
C
1.28 Silicon
Si
1.29 Tin
Sn
1.30 Lead
Pb
1.31 Anyuiite
Au(Pb,Sb)

2

1.31 Novodneprite
AuPb

3

1.32 Leadamalgam
HgPb

2

1.33 Arsenic
As
1.34 Arsenolamprite
As
1.35 Paxite
CuAs

2

1.36 Koutekite
Cu

5
As

2

1.37 Domeykite
Cu

3
As
1.38 Algodonite
(Cu

1-x
As

x
)
1.39 Novakite
Cu

20
AgAs

10

1.40 Kutinaite
Cu

2
AgAs
1.41 Antimony
Sb
1.42 Stibarsen
AsSb
1.43 Paradocrasite
Sb

3
As
1.44 Horsfordite
1.45 Cuprostibite
Cu

2
(Sb,Tl)
1.46 Allargentum
(Ag

1-x
Sb

x
)
1.47 Aurostibite
AuSb

2

1.48 Dyscrasite
Ag

3
Sb
1.49 Bismuth
Bi
1.50 Maldonite
Au

2
Bi
1.52 Rosickýite
S
1.53 Selenium
Se
1.54 Tellurium
Te
1.55 Chromium
Cr
1.56 Rhenium
Re
1.57 Iron
Fe
1.58 Chromferide
Fe

3
Cr

1-x
(x=0.6)
1.59 Ferchromide
Cr

1.5
Fe

0.5-x

1.60 Wairauite
CoFe
1.61 Nickel
Ni
1.62 Kamacite
(Fe,Ni)
1.63 Taenite
(Fe,Ni)
1.64 Tetrataenite
FeNi
1.65 Awaruite
Ni

3
Fe
1.66 Palladium
(Pd,Pt)
1.67 Potarite
PdHg
1.68 Paolovite
Pd

2
Sn
1.69 Stannopalladinite
(Pd,Cu)

3
Sn

2

1.70 Cabriite
Pd

2
SnCu
1.71 Taimyrite
(Pd,Cu,Pt)

3
Sn
1.72 Atokite
(Pd,Pt)

3
Sn
1.73 Rustenburgite
(Pt,Pd)

3
Sn
1.74 Zvyagintsevite
(Pd,Pt,Au)

3
(Pb,Sn)
1.75 Plumbopalladinite
Pd

3
Pb

2

1.76 Osmium
(Os,Ir,Ru)
1.77 Iridium
(Ir,Os,Ru)
1.82 Platinum
Pt
1.83 Hongshiite
PtCu
1.84 Niggliite
PtSn
1.85 Isoferroplatinum
Pt

3
Fe
1.86 Tetraferroplatinum
PtFe
1.87 Tulameenite
Pt

2
CuFe
1.88 Ferronickelplatinum
Pt

2
FeNi
1.89 Rhodium
(Rh,Pt)
Related Minerals - Dana Grouping):

- +
1.3.4.2 Rosickýite
S
Other Names for Sulphur
Synonyms:
Alpha-Sulfur Alpha-Sulphur α-Sulfur a-Sulphur α-Sulphur
Brimstone Native S Native Sulfur Native Sulphur Sulfur-α
Sulfur-alpha Sulphur-α Sulphur-alpha
Other Languages:
Afrikaans: Swawel
Albanian: Squfuri
Arabic: كبريت
Armenian: Ծծումբ
Asturian: Azufre
Aymara: Asuphri
Azeri: Kükürd
Basque: Sufre
Belarusian: Сера
Bengali: গন্ধক
Bosnian (Latin Script): Sumpor
Bulgarian: Сяра
Catalan: Sofre
Corsican: Zolfu
Croatian: Sumpor
Czech: Síra
Danish: Svovl
Dutch: Zwavel
Erzya: Палыкандал
Esperanto: Sulfuro
Estonian: Väävel
Finnish: Rikki
French: Soufre
Friulian: Solfar
Galician: Xofre
German: Schwefel
Gediegen Schwefel
Greek: Θείο
Guarani: Itaysy
Haitian: Souf
Hakka: Liù-vòng
Hebrew: גופרית
Hindi: गन्धक
Hungarian: Kén
Icelandic: Brennisteinn
Ido: Sulfo
Indonesian: Belerang
Irish Gaelic: Sulfar
Italian: Zolfo
Solfo
Japanese: 硫黄
Javanese: Welirang
Kannada: ಗಂಧಕ
Korean: 황
Kurdish (Latin Script): Kibrît
Latin: Sulphur
Latvian: Sērs
Limburgian: Solfer

Lithuanian: Siera
Lojban: sliri
Low Saxon: Swevel
Luxembourgish: Schwiefel
Macedonian: Сулфур
Malayalam: ഗന്ധകം
Manx: Sulfur
Maori: Pungatara
Marathi: सल्फर
Mongolian (Cyrillic Script): Хүхэр
Nahuatl: Tlequiquiztlālli
Norwegian (Bokmål): Svovel
Norwegian (Nynorsk): Svovel
Novial: Sulfre
Occitan: Sofre
Persian: گوگرد
Polish: Siarka
Portuguese: Enxofre
Quechua: Salina
Romanian: Sulf
Russian: Сера
Serbian (Cyrillic Script): Сумпор
Serbo-Croatian: Sumpor
Sicilian: Sùrfuru
Simplified Chinese: 硫
Slovak: Síra
Slovenian: Žveplo
Spanish: Azufre
Sundanese: Walirang
Swahili: Sulfuri
Swedish: Svavel
Tamil: கந்தகம்
Telugu: గంధకము
Thai: กำมะถัน
Traditional Chinese: 硫
Turkish: Kükürt
Ukrainian: Сірка
Upper Sorbian: Syrik
Uzbek (Latin Script): Oltingugurt
Vietnamese: Lưu huỳnh
Welsh: Sylffwr
West Flemish: Sulfer
Yiddish: שװעבל
Varieties:
Selenian Sulphur
Other Information
Thermal Behaviour: With a low melting point of 113 degrees C. sulphur burns readily in air, with a low blue flame, and gives off choking fumes of sulphur-dioxide - acrid odor (forms sulferous and eventually sulfuric acid in air).
Health Warning: No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Industrial Uses: Used in a great many applications, ranging from matches and fireworks to rubber.
References for Sulphur
Reference List: Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1944), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Volume I: Elements, Sulfides, Sulfosalts, Oxides. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. 7th edition, revised and enlarged, 834pp.: 140-144.

Ventriglia U. – (1951) Sulla struttura dello zolfo rombico. Periodico di Mineralogia – Roma pp. 237-255.

Acta Crystallographica (1987): C43: 2260-2262.

Gaines, Richard V., H. Catherine, W. Skinner, Eugene E. Foord, Brian Mason, Abraham Rosenzweig (1997), Dana's New Mineralogy : The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana: 30.
Internet Links for Sulphur
Search Engines:
# Look for Sulphur on Google
# Look for Sulphur images on Google
# External Links: Look for Sulphur on Webmineral
# Look for Sulphur on Athena Mineralogy
# Look for Sulphur on Wikipedia
# Look for Sulphur on Mineralien Atlas
# Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
# American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
# Search for Sulphur in the Natural History Museum (London) online catalogue
# Mineral Dealers: Buy from David K Joyce minerals
# Buy Fine Minerals from mineralsweb.com
# Fine Minerals from Dan Weinrich Minerals
# Wilensky Fine Minerals
# Buy RARE Minerals from Rocks of Africa
# The Arkenstone - Fine Minerals
# Search for - Sulphur - on e-Rocks Mineral Sales & Auctions
# rare and unusual minerals mainly crystallized
# Minerals from Stenbutikken Rock Shop
# Top quality minerals from Kristalle of California
# Fabre Minerals - search for Sulphur specimens
# DAKOTA MATRIX offers Cabinet and Rare Species from Worldwide Localities.
# Jobs: Mining & Geology Jobs
Page Sponsor
Sponsorship: This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.
Localities for Sulphur
[Tsumeb Mine (Tsumcorp Mine), Tsumeb, Otjikoto (Oshikoto) Region, Namibia] [Urucum mine (Tim mine; Córrego do Urucum pegmatite), Galiléia, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil] [Nanisivik Mine, Nanisivik, Baffin Island, Nunavut Territory, Canada] [Sulphur Springs, Soufriere, Saint Lucia] [Nyamuragira volcano (Nyamlagira), Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaïre)] [Pueblo Viejo Mine, Cotuí, Sánchez Ramírez Province, Dominican Republic] [Polaris Mine (Arvik Mine), Little Cornwallis Island, Nunavut Territory, Canada]
Syarat Penggunaan
Peta
Satelit
Hibrida
Medan
USA Topo
5000 mi
5000 km
Show Locality List (1368 Items)
The map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.