Sulfur- Sulphur: types and uses

Описание: #Sulfur (or #Sulphur in British English) is a #ChemicalElement with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, #Multivalent and #Nonmetallic.

Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic #Octatomic molecules with a #ChemicalFormula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow, crystalline solid at room temperature.

Sulfur is the tenth most abundant element by mass in the universe and the fifth most on Earth. Though sometimes found in pure, native form, sulfur on Earth usually occurs as #Sulfide and #Sulfate minerals. Being abundant in native form, sulfur was known in ancient times, being mentioned for its uses in ancient India, ancient Greece, China, and ancient Egypt.

Historically and in literature sulfur is also called #Brimstone, which means "burning stone".

Today, almost all elemental sulfur is produced as a byproduct of removing sulfur-containing contaminants from natural gas and #Petroleum. The greatest commercial use of the element is the production of #SulfuricAcid for sulfate and #Phosphate #Fertilizers, and other chemical processes.

Sulfur is used in matches, #Insecticides, and #Fungicides. Many sulfur compounds are odoriferous, and the smells of odorized #NaturalGas, skunk scent, grapefruit, and garlic are due to organosulfur compounds. #HydrogenSulfide gives the characteristic odor to rotting eggs and other biological processes.

Sulfur is an essential element for all life, but almost always in the form of organosulfur compounds or metal sulfides.

Three #AminoAcids (#Cysteine, #Cystine, and #Methionine) and two #Vitamins (#Biotin and #Thiamine) are organosulfur compounds.

Many cofactors also contain sulfur, including #Glutathione, #Thioredoxin, and iron–sulfur proteins. Disulfides, S–S bonds, confer mechanical strength and insolubility of the protein #Keratin, found in outer skin, hair, and feathers.

Sulfur is one of the core chemical elements needed for #Biochemical functioning and is an elemental #Macronutrient for all living organisms.

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