Sulfur Mineral Data

Sulfur Mineral Data +

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General Sulfur Information

Chemical Formula:

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 256.53 gm

Sulfur 100.00 % S

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

S₈

Environment:

Volcanic exhalations and bacterial reduction of sulfates in sediments.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) Prehistoric

Locality:

Notable localities are in Sicily, Italy and salt domes of the United States Gulf Coast. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Sanskrit, sulvere = "sulfur;" Latin sulphurium.

Synonym:

ICSD 63082

PDF 8-247

Schwefel

Soufre

Sulfur Image

Images:

Sulfur Coccinite

Comments: Orange-red coccinite on sulfur. Due to the volatility of the mineral at room temperature, the sample is preserved in a closed vial. The photo was made through the vial, therefore the sharpness is reduced.
Location: Lichtenberg Mine, Ronneburg U Deposit, Gera district, Thuringia, Germany. Scale: Picture size 1 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Images:

Sulfur

Comments: Single complex crystal of sulfur on white, sucrosic aragonite.
Location: Girgenti, Sicily, Italy. Scale: Crystal size 4.5.
© John Veevaert

Images:

Sulfur Metastibnite

Comments: Red coatings of metastibnite with yellow sulfur.
Location: Steamboat Springs, Washoe County, Nevada, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Sulfur Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.8135:1:1.9042

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.45, b = 12.845, c = 24.46, Z = 16; V = 3,283.27 Den(Calc)= 2.08

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: F ddd

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.85(1), 3.21(0.6), 3.44(0.4),

Forms:

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Forms: [ 1 1 1] [ 1 1 2]

Warning: this large pop-up is very compute intensive and may not work well with some computers.

Crystal Structure:

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Wyckoff R W G , Crystal Structures , 1 (1963) p.7-83, Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Sulfur
[1] [2]

Physical Properties of Sulfur

Cleavage:

[???] Imperfect, [???] Imperfect

Color:

Yellow, Yellowish brown, Yellowish gray, Reddish, Greenish.

Density:

2.05 - 2.09, Average = 2.06

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to translucent

Fracture:

Sectile - Curved shavings or scrapings produced by a knife blade, (e.g. graphite).

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Habit:

Reniform - "Kidney like" in shape (e.g.. hematite).

Habit:

Stalactitic - Shaped like pendant columns as stalactites or stalagmites (e.g. calcite).

Hardness:

1.5-2.5 - Hardness very near Gypsum

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Resinous

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Sulfur

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.9579, b=2.0377, g=2.2452, bire=0.2873, 2V(Calc)=70, 2V(Meas)=68.967. Dispersion relatively weak.

Calculated Properties of Sulfur

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.08 gm/cc
note: r_Sulfur=2.08 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.0075
Boson Index = 0.9925

Photoelectric:

PE_Sulfur= 5.40 barns/electron
U=PE_Sulfur x r_electron= 11.22 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Sulfur is Not Radioactive

Sulfur Classification

Dana Class:

1.3.5.1 (1)Native Elements

(1.3)with semi-metallic and non-metallic elements

(1.3.5)Sulfur Polymorph group

1.3.5.1 Sulfur S8 F ddd 2/m 2/m 2/m

1.3.5.2 Rosickyite S P 2/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

I/B.03-10 I - Elements

I/B - Semimetals and nonmetals

I/B.03 - Sulfur - Selenium series

I/B.03-10 Sulfur S8 F ddd 2/m 2/m 2/m

I/B.03-20 Rosickyite S P 2/c 2/m

I/B.03-30 Selenium Se P 3₁21,P 3₂21 3 2

I/B.03-40 Tellurium Te P 3₁21 3 2

Other Sulfur Information

References:

NAME( Emsley91) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

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Sulfur

S8
Dana No: 1.3.5.1 Strunz No: I/B.03-10
Locality:

Notes: