Sulfur is a chemical element that is in the sixth group and third period of the periodic table. In this article, we will take a detailed look at its chemical and physical properties, production, use, and so on. The physical characteristic includes such features as color, electrical conductivity level, sulfur boiling point, etc. The chemical one describes its interaction with other substances.
Sulfur in terms of physics
This is a fragile substance. Under normal conditions, it is in a solid state of aggregation. Sulfur has a lemon yellow color.
And for the most part, all of its compounds have yellow tints. Does not dissolve in water. It has low thermal and electrical conductivity. These features characterize it as a typical non-metal. Despite the fact that the chemical composition of sulfur is not at all complicated, this substance can have several variations. It all depends on the structure of the crystal lattice, with the help of which atoms are connected, but they do not form molecules.
So, the first option is rhombic sulfur. She happens to bethe most stable. The boiling point of this type of sulfur is four hundred and forty-five degrees Celsius. But in order for a given substance to pass into a gaseous state of aggregation, it must first pass through a liquid state. So, the melting of sulfur occurs at a temperature that is one hundred and thirteen degrees Celsius.
The second option is monoclinic sulfur. It is a needle-shaped crystals with a dark yellow color. The melting of sulfur of the first type, and then its slow cooling leads to the formation of this type. This variety has almost the same physical characteristics. For example, the boiling point of sulfur of this type is still the same four hundred and forty-five degrees. In addition, there is such a variety of this substance as plastic. It is obtained by pouring into cold water heated almost to a boil rhombic. The boiling point of sulfur of this type is the same. But the substance has the ability to stretch like rubber.
Another component of the physical characteristic that I would like to talk about is the ignition temperature of sulfur.
This figure may vary depending on the type of material and its origin. For example, the ignition temperature of technical sulfur is one hundred and ninety degrees. This is a rather low figure. In other cases, the flash point of sulfur can be two hundred and forty-eight degrees and even two hundred and fifty-six. It all depends on what material it was mined from, what density it has. But it can be concludedthat the combustion temperature of sulfur is quite low, compared with other chemical elements, it is a flammable substance. In addition, sometimes sulfur can combine into molecules consisting of eight, six, four or two atoms. Now, having considered sulfur from the point of view of physics, let's move on to the next section.
Chemical characterization of sulfur
This element has a relatively low atomic mass, it is equal to thirty-two grams per mole. The characteristic of the sulfur element includes such a feature of this substance as the ability to have different degrees of oxidation. In this it differs from, say, hydrogen or oxygen. Considering the question of what is the chemical characteristic of the sulfur element, it is impossible not to mention that, depending on the conditions, it exhibits both reducing and oxidizing properties. So, in order, consider the interaction of a given substance with various chemical compounds.
Sulfur and simple substances
Simple are substances that have only one chemical element in their composition. Its atoms may combine into molecules, as, for example, in the case of oxygen, or they may not combine, as is the case with metals. So, sulfur can react with metals, other non-metals and halogens.
Interaction with metals
This kind of process requires a high temperature. Under these conditions, an addition reaction occurs. That is, metal atoms combine with sulfur atoms, thus forming complex substances sulfides. For example, if you heattwo moles of potassium, mixed with one mole of sulfur, we get one mole of the sulfide of this metal. The equation can be written as follows: 2K + S=K2S.
Reaction with oxygen
This is sulfur burning. As a result of this process, its oxide is formed. The latter can be of two types. Therefore, the combustion of sulfur can occur in two stages. The first is when one mole of sulfur and one mole of oxygen form one mole of sulfur dioxide. You can write the equation of this chemical reaction as follows: S + O2=SO2. The second stage is the addition of one more oxygen atom to the dioxide. This happens when one mole of oxygen is added to two moles of sulfur dioxide at high temperatures. The result is two moles of sulfur trioxide. The equation for this chemical interaction looks like this: 2SO2 + O2=2SO3. As a result of this reaction, sulfuric acid is formed. So, by carrying out the two processes described, it is possible to pass the resulting trioxide through a jet of water vapor. And we get sulfate acid. The equation for such a reaction is written as follows: SO3 + H2O=H2SO 4.
Interaction with halogens
The chemical properties of sulfur, like other non-metals, allow it to react with this group of substances. It includes compounds such as fluorine, bromine, chlorine, iodine. Sulfur reacts with any of them, except for the last one. An example is the process of fluorination of the consideredus an element of the periodic table. By heating the mentioned non-metal with a halogen, two variations of fluoride can be obtained. The first case: if we take one mole of sulfur and three moles of fluorine, we get one mole of fluoride, the formula of which is SF6. The equation looks like this: S + 3F2=SF6. In addition, there is a second option: if we take one mole of sulfur and two moles of fluorine, we get one mole of fluoride with the chemical formula SF4. The equation is written as follows: S + 2F2=SF4. As you can see, it all depends on the proportions in which the components are mixed. In exactly the same way, it is possible to carry out the process of chlorination of sulfur (two different substances can also be formed) or bromination.
Interaction with other simple substances
The characterization of the sulfur element does not end there. The substance can also enter into a chemical reaction with hydrogen, phosphorus and carbon. Due to the interaction with hydrogen, sulfide acid is formed. As a result of its reaction with metals, their sulfides can be obtained, which, in turn, are also obtained by direct reaction of sulfur with the same metal. The addition of hydrogen atoms to sulfur atoms occurs only under conditions of very high temperature. When sulfur reacts with phosphorus, its phosphide is formed. It has the following formula: P2S3. In order to get one mole of this substance, you need to take two moles of phosphorus and three moles of sulfur. When sulfur interacts with carbon, the carbide of the considered non-metal is formed. Its chemical formula looks like this: CS2. In order to get one mole of this substance, you need to take one mole of carbon and two moles of sulfur. All the addition reactions described above occur only when the reactants are heated to high temperatures. We have considered the interaction of sulfur with simple substances, now let's move on to the next paragraph.
Sulfur and complex compounds
Complex are those substances whose molecules consist of two (or more) different elements. The chemical properties of sulfur allow it to react with compounds such as alkalis, as well as concentrated sulphate acid. Its reactions with these substances are rather peculiar. First, consider what happens when the non-metal in question is mixed with alkali. For example, if you take six moles of potassium hydroxide and add three moles of sulfur to them, you get two moles of potassium sulfide, one mole of this metal sulfite, and three moles of water. This kind of reaction can be expressed by the following equation: 6KOH + 3S=2K2S + K2SO3 + 3H2 O. By the same principle, interaction occurs if sodium hydroxide is added. Next, consider the behavior of sulfur when a concentrated solution of sulfate acid is added to it. If we take one mole of the first and two moles of the second substance, we get the following products: sulfur trioxide in the amount of three moles, and also water - two moles. This chemical reaction can only take place when the reactants are heated to a high temperature.
Getting the item in questionnon-metal
There are several basic ways in which you can extract sulfur from a variety of substances. The first method is to isolate it from pyrite. The chemical formula of the latter is FeS2. When this substance is heated to a high temperature without access to oxygen, another iron sulfide - FeS - and sulfur can be obtained. The reaction equation is written as follows: FeS2=FeS + S. The second method of obtaining sulfur, which is often used in industry, is the combustion of sulfur sulfide under the condition of a small amount of oxygen. In this case, you can get the considered non-metal and water. To carry out the reaction, you need to take the components in a molar ratio of two to one. As a result, we get the final products in proportions of two to two. The equation for this chemical reaction can be written as follows: O. In addition, sulfur can be obtained during various metallurgical processes, for example, in the production of metals such as nickel, copper and others.
Industrial use
The non-metal we are considering has found its widest application in the chemical industry. As mentioned above, here it is used to obtain sulfate acid from it. In addition, sulfur is used as a component for the manufacture of matches, due to the fact that it is a flammable material. It is also indispensable in the production of explosives, gunpowder, sparklers, etc. In addition, sulfur is used as one of the ingredients in pest control products. ATmedicine, it is used as a component in the manufacture of drugs for skin diseases. Also, the substance in question is used in the production of various dyes. In addition, it is used in the manufacture of phosphors.
Electronic structure of sulfur
As you know, all atoms consist of a nucleus, which contains protons - positively charged particles - and neutrons, ie, particles with zero charge. Electrons revolve around the nucleus with a negative charge. For an atom to be neutral, it must have the same number of protons and electrons in its structure. If there are more of the latter, this is already a negative ion - an anion. If, on the contrary, the number of protons is greater than the number of electrons, this is a positive ion, or cation. The sulfur anion can act as an acid residue. It is part of the molecules of substances such as sulfide acid (hydrogen sulfide) and metal sulfides. An anion is formed during electrolytic dissociation, which occurs when a substance is dissolved in water. In this case, the molecule decomposes into a cation, which can be represented as a metal or hydrogen ion, as well as a cation - an ion of an acid residue or a hydroxyl group (OH-).
Since the serial number of sulfur in the periodic table is sixteen, we can conclude that exactly this number of protons is in its nucleus. Based on this, we can say that there are also sixteen electrons rotating around. The number of neutrons can be found by subtracting the serial number of the chemical element from the molar mass: 32- 16=16. Each electron does not rotate randomly, but in a certain orbit. Since sulfur is a chemical element that belongs to the third period of the periodic table, there are three orbits around the nucleus. The first one has two electrons, the second has eight, and the third has six. The electronic formula of the sulfur atom is written as follows: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p4.
Prevalence in nature
Basically, the considered chemical element is found in the composition of minerals, which are sulfides of various metals. First of all, it is pyrite - iron s alt; it is also lead, silver, copper luster, zinc blende, cinnabar - mercury sulfide. In addition, sulfur can also be part of minerals, the structure of which is represented by three or more chemical elements.
For example, chalcopyrite, mirabilite, kieserite, gypsum. You can consider each of them in more detail. Pyrite is a ferrum sulfide, or FeS2. It has a light yellow color with a golden sheen. This mineral can often be found as an impurity in lapis lazuli, which is widely used to make jewelry. This is due to the fact that these two minerals often have a common deposit. Copper shine - chalcocite, or chalcosine - is a bluish-gray substance, similar to metal. Lead luster (galena) and silver luster (argentite) have similar properties: they both look like metals and have a gray color. Cinnabar is a brownish-red dull mineral with gray patches. Chalcopyrite, chemicalwhose formula is CuFeS2, - golden yellow, it is also called golden blende. Zinc blende (sphalerite) can have a color from amber to fiery orange. Mirabilite - Na2SO4x10H2O - transparent or white crystals. It is also called Glauber's s alt, used in medicine. The chemical formula of kieserite is MgSO4xH2O. It appears as a white or colorless powder. The chemical formula of gypsum is CaSO4x2H2O. In addition, this chemical element is part of the cells of living organisms and is an important trace element.
