Sumpor

What sulfur is

Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with the chemical formula S₈. The best-known allotrope is octasulfur, cyclo-S₈, a soft, bright-yellow solid. It melts at 115.21 °C and boils at 444.6 °C. Sulfur is the tenth most abundant element by mass in the universe and the fifth most common on Earth. It is insoluble in water but soluble in carbon disulfide.

Occurrence

Elemental sulfur can be found near hot springs and volcanic regions in many parts of the world, especially along the Pacific Ring of Fire. In July 2024, elemental sulfur was found on Mars when the Curiosity rover crushed a rock and revealed sulfur crystals inside it. Sulfur is an essential element for all life, almost always in the form of organosulfur compounds or metal sulfides.

Sulfurous notes and organosulfur compounds

Organosulfur compounds are organic compounds that contain sulfur. Many sulfur compounds are odoriferous, and the smells of odorized natural gas, skunk scent, bad breath, grapefruit, and garlic are due to organosulfur compounds. Thiols are used as odorants to assist in the detection of natural gas, which in pure form is odorless. Grapefruit mercaptan is a monoterpenoid that contains a thiol functional group. Furan-2-ylmethanethiol is a key component of the aroma of roasted coffee. Allicin is an organosulfur compound obtained from garlic and leeks. Dimethyl sulfide is the simplest thioether and contributes to the characteristic odor of sea air.

Detection

Volatile thiols typically have very strong, often unpleasant odors that can be detected by humans in very low concentrations. The detection threshold for the (+)-(R) enantiomer of grapefruit mercaptan is 3.4×10⁻⁵ ppb, or equivalently a concentration of 0.000034 nanograms per litre of air, the lowest detection threshold recorded.

Uses

The greatest commercial use of the element is the production of sulfuric acid for sulfate and phosphate fertilizers, and other chemical processes. Sulfur is used in matches, insecticides, and fungicides.

History

Sulfur was known in ancient times, being mentioned for its uses in ancient India, ancient Greece, China, and ancient Egypt. Historically, Sicily was a major source of sulfur in the Industrial Revolution. In 1894 the German-born American chemist Herman Frasch devised his Frasch method of sulfur removal using pipes to bypass the quicksand.

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