Matches are one of the most common uses for sulfur.
The element sulfur has an atomic number of 16, making it one of the nonmetal elements. It is a yellowish brittle solid in its pure form. Thousands of compounds, both naturally occurring and man made, have sulfur as a component. Sulfur is an important component in many compounds encountered in daily life, science and industry. Sulfur compounds are also important to the biology of many living things.
Naturally occurring sulfur compounds
Sulfur is a component in several ores. Galena, an ore rich in lead, contains sulfur as lead sulfide. Sulfur is one of two elements in the mineral cinnabar, which is mercury sulfate. Sulfur is the main component of elemental mercury. Gypsum is known as calcium sulfate, and sulfur is also common in minerals such as pyrite and sphalerite. Epsom salts, or magnesium sulfate, are a natural sulfur compound.
Industrial and Commercial Compounds
Sulfur is used in thousands of chemicals and compounds. Sulfuric acid is one of the strongest and most common of all acids and is used extensively in manufacturing and is the world's most commonly used chemical. Much of the world's annual sulfur production makes this powerful acid, which is used to manufacture batteries and other products. Sulfur, in the form of sulphates, is a common component of many fertilizers. Sulfur is found in many common pesticides, including captan and malathion.
Medicines
Sulfa drugs are a group of common antimicrobial drugs used for the treatment of bacterial and other infections and were the first drugs of their kind. As a group, they are called sulfonamides, with sulfanilamide being the basis for several sub-groups of compounds in this family, with thousands of related chemicals, such as sulfisoxazole, sulfasalazine and sulfamethoxazole.
Other Common Sulfur Compounds
Hydrogen sulfide is a toxic sulfur compound found in petroleum products, particularly natural gas, and is a byproduct of decaying organic material. It is distinguished by its characteristic rotten egg smell. It is often found in sewers and is a component in what is colloquially termed "swamp gas." Hydrogen sulfide is common around volcanic and geothermal sites. Sulfur dioxide is another common sulfur compound that has numerous industrial uses. As a byproduct found in the emissions of many factories and power plants that burn coal, it can combine with water droplets to form another acid, sulfurous acid, which is one of the main sources of acid rain.
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