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Sulphur

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Cianciana, Agrigento Province, Sicily, Italy
© G.S

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Formula:
S
 
8
System:OrthorhombicColour:Yellow, sulphur-yellow, ...
Lustre:Resinous, GreasyHardness:1½ - 2½
Name:From Middle English "sulphur", brimstone.


Sulphur Group.

Crystals are usually yellow to yellowish-brown blocky dipyramids, with thick tabular and disphenoidal crystals less common. Also found more typically as powedery 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)
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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 doems, 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
Density (measured):2.07 g/cm3
Density (calculated):2.08 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 = 10.45Å, b = 12.84Å, c = 24.46Å
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.814 : 1 : 1.905
Unit Cell Volume:V 3,281.99 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.
Crystal Atlas:
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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

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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:

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X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
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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-spacingIntensity
3.85(100)
3.44(40)
3.33(30)
3.21(60)
3.11(30)
3.08(20)
2.84(20)
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

Chemical Properties of Sulphur

Formula:
S
 
8
Essential elements:S
All elements listed in formula:S
Analyical Data:Sulfur, orthorhombic, is alpha-S, while rosickyite, monoclinic, is gamma-S.
Relationship of Sulphur to other Species
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):
1.CC.05Rosickýite
S
1.CC.10Selenium
Se
1.CC.10Tellurium
Te
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:
1.1Copper
Cu
1.2Silver
Ag
1.5Gold
Au
1.6Auricupride
Cu
 
3
Au
1.7Tetra-auricupride
AuCu
1.8Zinc
Zn
1.9Cadmium
Cd
1.10Danbaite
CuZn
 
2
1.11Zhanghengite
CuZn
1.12Mercury
Hg
1.13Kolymite
Cu
 
7
Hg
 
6
1.14Moschellandsbergite
Ag
 
2
Hg
 
3
1.15Eugenite
Ag
 
11
Hg
 
2
1.16Schachnerite
Ag
 
1.1
Hg
 
0.9
1.17Paraschachnerite
Ag
 
3
Hg
 
2
1.18Luanheite
Ag
 
3
Hg
1.19Weishanite
(Au,Ag)
 
3
Hg
 
2
1.20Indium
In
1.21Aluminium
Al
1.22Khatyrkite
(Cu,Zn)Al
 
2
1.23Cupalite
(Cu,Zn)Al
1.24Diamond
C
1.25Graphite
C
1.26Chaoite
C
1.27Lonsdaleite
C
1.28Silicon
Si
1.29Tin
Sn
1.30Lead
Pb
1.31Anyuiite
Au(Pb,Sb)
 
2
1.31Novodneprite
AuPb
 
3
1.32Leadamalgam
HgPb
 
2
1.33Arsenic
As
1.34Arsenolamprite
As
1.35Paxite
CuAs
 
2
1.36Koutekite
Cu
 
5
As
 
2
1.37Domeykite
Cu
 
3
As
1.38Algodonite
(Cu
 
1-x
As
 
x
)
1.39Novakite
Cu
 
20
AgAs
 
10
1.40Kutinaite
Cu
 
2
AgAs
1.41Antimony
Sb
1.42Stibarsen
AsSb
1.43Paradocrasite
Sb
 
3
As
1.44Horsfordite
1.45Cuprostibite
Cu
 
2
(Sb,Tl)
1.46Allargentum
(Ag
 
1-x
Sb
 
x
)
1.47Aurostibite
AuSb
 
2
1.48Dyscrasite
Ag
 
3
Sb
1.49Bismuth
Bi
1.50Maldonite
Au
 
2
Bi
1.52Rosickýite
S
1.53Selenium
Se
1.54Tellurium
Te
1.55Chromium
Cr
1.56Rhenium
Re
1.57Iron
Fe
1.58Chromferide
Fe
 
3
Cr
 
1-x
 (x=0.6)
1.59Ferchromide
Cr
 
1.5
Fe
 
0.5-x
1.60Wairauite
CoFe
1.61Nickel
Ni
1.62Kamacite
(Fe,Ni)
1.63Taenite
(Fe,Ni)
1.64Tetrataenite
FeNi
1.65Awaruite
Ni
 
3
Fe
1.66Palladium
(Pd,Pt)
1.67Potarite
PdHg
1.68Paolovite
Pd
 
2
Sn
1.69Stannopalladinite
(Pd,Cu)
 
3
Sn
 
2
1.70Cabriite
Pd
 
2
SnCu
1.71Taimyrite
(Pd,Cu,Pt)
 
3
Sn
1.72Atokite
(Pd,Pt)
 
3
Sn
1.73Rustenburgite
(Pt,Pd)
 
3
Sn
1.74Zvyagintsevite
(Pd,Pt,Au)
 
3
(Pb,Sn)
1.75Plumbopalladinite
Pb
 
2
Pd
 
3
1.76Osmium
(Os,Ir,Ru)
1.77Iridium
(Ir,Os,Ru)
1.82Platinum
Pt
1.83Hongshiite
PtCu
1.84Niggliite
PtSn
1.85Isoferroplatinum
Pt
 
3
Fe
1.86Tetraferroplatinum
PtFe
1.87Tulameenite
Pt
 
2
CuFe
1.88Ferronickelplatinum
Pt
 
2
FeNi
1.89Rhodium
(Rh,Pt)
Related Minerals - Dana Grouping):
1.3.4.2Rosickýite
S
Other Names for Sulphur
Synonyms:
Alpha-SulfurAlpha-Sulphurα-Sulfura-Sulphurα-Sulphur
AzufreBrimstoneNative SNative SulfurNative Sulphur
SulfurSulfur-αSulfur-alphaSulphur-αSulphur-alpha
French names:
Soufre
German names:
Schwefel
Italian names:
SolfoZolfo
Polish names:
Siarka
Russian names:
Сера
Swedish names:
Svavel
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 - "rotten" egg odor.
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.


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