Knowledge Nugget | Sulphur Explained: What it is and why it matters

This is what we all have been reading since the war in West Asia started, but here it becomes important to also know about the important chemical element such as – sulphur – because West Asia conflict is not just an oil story; it is a raw-material shock that will travel through seventeen different chemical value chains before reaching the Indian consumer.

OTHER ELEMENTS IN NEWS | Gold- Click here | Helium- Click here | Copper- Click here |Silver- Click here

Key Takeaways:

1. Sulphur (identified by the letter S) is a non-metallic chemical element. It is a valuable commodity and integral component of the world economy. 

2. It combines directly with almost all the elements with the exception of gold, platinum and the noble gases. In its native form, sulphur is a yellow crystalline solid. It can be found as a pure element or as sulphate or sulphide minerals. 

3. It occurs naturally in the environment and is believed to be the thirteenth most abundant element in the earth’s crust. Most elemental sulphur is obtained as a co-product recovered from oil and gas production.

Distribution of Sulphur

1. As per the Indian Minerals Yearbook 2023, native sulphur deposit has been reported in Puga Valley of Leh district in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. The grade of the deposit ranges from 9% to 24% of sulphur. 

2. Small occurrences of native sulphur are also reported from Barren Island of Bay of Bengal. Sulphur along with hot springs were reported from various parts of Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, etc. districts in Garhwal & Kumaun divisions of Uttarakhand. 

3. In Andhra Pradesh, native sulphur occurs in granular form with clay and silt in coastal areas of Krishna and East Godavari districts. Occurrences are also reported from Alappuzha district of Kerala and Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.

(Image: Google NotebookLM created)

4. According to the India Mineral Yearbook 2023, in 2022-23 among the states, Odisha accounted for 25% of the total sulphur production and it was followed by Kerala 20%, Haryana 17%, Gujarat 16%, West Bengal 9%, Uttar Pradesh 6%, Maharashtra 5%, and remaining production was contributed by Bihar and Assam.

5. The domestic production of elemental sulphur is limited to by-product recoveries from petroleum refineries and fuel oil used as feedstock for manufacturing fertilizer.

Uses and Consumption of Sulphur

1. Sulphur is an essential raw material for many chemical industries and is essentially used for the production of sulphuric acid.

2. Sulphuric acid is a strong mineral acid. It is soluble in water at all concentrations. It has many applications and is produced in greater amounts than any other chemical besides water. Principal uses include ore processing, fertilizer manufacturing, oil refining, waste water processing and chemical synthesis. 

3. Sulphuric acid is also essential for processing copper, nickel, and cobalt. The production and consumption of sulphuric acid are an indicator of a nation’s industrial development. The principal use of sulphuric acid is in the manufacture of phosphatic fertilizer.

4. Powdered form of sulphur produced by sublimation process that may contain up to 30% of the amorphous allotrope are generally used in rubber vulcanisation, agricultural dusts, pharmaceutical products and stock feeds.

5. Sulphur is used as a light-generating medium in the rare lighting fixtures known as “sulphur lamps”. The sulphur lamp is a highly efficient full-spectrum electrodeless lighting system whose light is generated by sulphur plasma that has been excited by microwave radiation.

(Image: Google NotebookLM created)

6. Sulphur compounds are also used in detergents, fungicides, dyestuffs and agrichemicals. In silver based photography, sodium and ammonium thio-sulphate are used as “fixing agents”. Sulphites, derived from burning sulphur, are used to bleach paper. They are also used as preservatives in dried fruit and processed fruit products.

7. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are critical components of a well-fertilized crop. But to achieve yields and more nutritious foods, crops need sulphur (S). It improves protein and oil percentage in seeds, cereal quality for milling and baking, marketability of dry coconut kernel (copra), quality of tobacco, nutritive value of forages, etc.

8. Concrete binder made with sulphur is an eco-efficient alternative to conventional Portland cement for paving stones, sidewalks and building foundations.

BEYOND THE NUGGET: What is Copper?

1. Copper is a soft, malleable and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. It is one of the few metals that occur in nature in directly usable metallic form (native metals).

2. It is an important non-ferrous base metal with wide industrial applications. Copper is essential to the modern economy, with uses ranging from housing and manufacturing to power grids, clean energy, artificial intelligence and defence. Thus, it is often seen as a barometer of economic health.

3. A rise in copper prices is considered a signal of robust economic growth, while falling prices tend to raise concerns about an economic slowdown.

4. According to the Indian Minerals Yearbook 2022, India is not self-sufficient in the production of copper ore. In addition to domestic production of ore and concentrates, India imports copper concentrates for its smelters.

5. As per the Indian Minerals Yearbook 2022, largest reserves/resources of copper ore (52.25%) are in the State of Rajasthan followed by Madhya Pradesh (23.28%) and Jharkhand (15.14%).

Post Read Question

Consider the following statements regarding sulphur:

1. Sulphur combines directly with all elements except gold, platinum and noble gases.

2. Most elemental sulphur is obtained through direct mining of native deposits.

3. The production and consumption of sulphuric acid is considered an indicator of industrial development.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

(Sources: West Asia war: Disruption hits chemicals, steel, aluminium, textile, breweries, Knowledge Nugget | The story of Copper: what is this metal and why it reflects global economic health, India Mineral Yearbook 2023)

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