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Native Sulphur

A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Native SulphurHide

Formula:
S8
As a Commodity:
Colour:
Yellow, sulphur-yellow, brownish or greenish yellow, orange, white
Lustre:
Resinous, Greasy
Hardness:
1½ - 2½
Specific Gravity:
2.07
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Member of:
Name:
A name in Middle English, introduced at least as early as 1390. Also known as brimstone. Theophrastus (~300 BCE) wrote ฮผฮฑฮปฯŽฮดฮทฯ‚ ("malรณdis", an otherwise unknown word) for what may be sulphur impregnated pumice, but Caley and Richards (1956) in their analysis and translation of ฮ ฮตฯฮน ฮ›ฮนฮธฮฟฮฝ ("Peri Lithon", "About Stones") suggest that the actual word should have been ฮผฮทฮปฯŽฮดฮทฯ‚ ("milรณdis", meaning quince-yellow). Other interpretations have been given.
Sulphur Group.

Crystals are usually yellow to yellowish-brown blocky dipyramids, with thick tabular and disphenoidal crystals less common. Also found more typically as powdery yellow coatings. Most native sulphur is found in sedimentary rocks, where large deposits are formed by reduction of sulfates, often biogenically. Sulphur is a common deposition product from volcanic gases associated with realgar, cinnabar and other minerals. It is also found in some vein deposits and as an alteration product of sulphide minerals.

Pagano (2002) reported laboratory grown sulphur crystals on white Sicilian matrix. Some specimens were very fine and indistinguishable from good natural specimens. If the crystals grew on a broken surface they could be dismissed as fakes as the crystals had to grow after the surface was broken in mining. In general, a sensitive test was given that indicated the presence of carbon disulfide, the medium in which the crystals were grown. The presence of bitumen on the matrix spoiled the process, so any such specimen is not faked this way. A year later Peterson, et al. (2003) showed that isotopic analysis could spot these fakes as the sulphur used was from a salt dome and not the sedimentary Sicilian deposit. Had the fakes been made with Sicilian sulphur, only the carbon disulfide test could expose them.

The systematic chemical name of this allotrope is octathiocane.




Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:
3826
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3826:9

IMA Classification of Native SulphurHide

Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
IMA Formula:
S

Classification of Native SulphurHide

1.CC.05

1 : ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
C : Metalloids and Nonmetals
C : Sulfur-selenium-iodine
Dana 7th ed.:
1.3.4.1
1.3.5.1

1 : NATIVE ELEMENTS AND ALLOYS
3 : Semi-metals and non-metals
1.51

1 : Elements and Alloys (including the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au)

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMAโ€“CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

SymbolSourceReference for Standard
SIMAโ€“CNMNCWarr, L.N. (2021). IMAโ€“CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43

Physical Properties of Native SulphurHide

Resinous, Greasy
Transparency:
Transparent, Translucent
Colour:
Yellow, sulphur-yellow, brownish or greenish yellow, orange, white
Streak:
Colourless
Hardness:
1½ - 2½ on Mohs scale
Hardness Data:
Measured
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Imperfect/Fair
Imperfect on {001}, {110} and {111}.
Parting:
Parting on {111}
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal
Comment:
Also can be somewhat sectile
Density:
2.07 g/cm3 (Measured)    2.076 g/cm3 (Calculated)

Optical Data of Native SulphurHide

Type:
Biaxial (+)
RI values:
nα = 1.9579 nβ = 2.0377 nγ = 2.2452
2V:
Measured: 68° , Calculated: 70°
Max. Birefringence:
δ = 0.287
Based on recorded range of RI values above.

Interference Colours:
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.

Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 ยตm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.

Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.

Surface Relief:
Very High (positive)
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).

This shows the grain boundary and Becke line effect under plane-polarised light, based on the contrast between this mineral's average refractive index and the mounting medium. It does not take into account mineral colouration.
In focus
Interference Figure:
This shows the idealized biaxial acute bisectrix (Bxa) interference figure - the conoscopic view for a grain cut perpendicular to the acute bisectrix, using this mineral's 2V. The two small white dots mark the melatopes - the points where the two optic axes emerge - and are shown only when they fall within the field of view. The coloured bands are isochromatics, and the dark bands are isogyres.

Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
Dispersion:
relatively weak r< v
Pleochroism:
Visible

Chemistry of Native SulphurHide

Mindat Formula:
S8
Element Weights:
Element% weight
S100.000 %

Calculated from ideal end-member formula.
Common Impurities:
Se,Te

Crystallography of Native SulphurHide

Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mmm(2/m2/m2/m) - Dipyramidal
Space Group:
Fddd
Cell Parameters:
a = 10.468 Å, b = 12.870 Å, c = 24.49 Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.813 : 1 : 1.903
Unit Cell V:
3,299.37 ร…ยณ (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
128
Morphology:
Over 50 forms have been noted, blocky dipyramidal ones most common, also tabular and sphenoidal; also found as powdery coatings, massive material, and in reniform and stalactic forms.
Twinning:
On {101}{011}{110} rare.

Crystallographic forms of Native SulphurHide

Crystal Atlas:
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Sulfur no.1 - {111} - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
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Sulfur no.8 - {111} - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
View 3D crystal model
Sulfur no.81 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
View 3D crystal model
Sulfur no.116 - {111} - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided by www.smorf.nl.

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IDSpeciesReferenceLinkYearLocalityPressure (GPa)Temp (K)
0010057Native SulphurRettig S J, Trotter J (1987) Refinement of the structure of orthorhombic sulfur, alpha-S8 Acta Crystallographica C43 2260-22621987synthetic0298
0011255Native SulphurWyckoff R W G (1963) Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York Crystal Structures 1 7-8319630293
CIF Raw Data - click here to close

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Loading XRD data...
Data Set:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacingIntensity
3.85 ร…(100)
3.44 ร…(40)
3.33 ร…(30)
3.21 ร…(60)
3.11 ร…(30)
3.08 ร…(20)
2.84 ร…(20)
2.62 ร…(10)
Comments:
Data given are for synthetic material.

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):
Paragenetic ModeEarliest Age (Ga)
Near-surface Processes
24 : Authigenic minerals in terrestrial sediments (see also #17)
Stage 6: Anoxic biosphere<4.0
44 : Anoxic microbially mediated minerals (see also #44)
Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event<2.4
45a : [Sulfates, arsenates, selenates, antimonates]
Stage 10a: Neoproterozoic oxygenation/terrestrial biosphere<0.6
49 : Oxic cellular biomineralization (see also #44)<0.54
50 : Coal and/or oil shale minerals<0.36
Stage 10b: Anthropogenic minerals<10 Ka
54 : Coal and other mine fire minerals (see also #51 and #56)
Geological Setting:
Usually formed from volcanic action - as a deposition product from volcanic gasses associated with realgar, cinnabar and other minerals. It is also found in some vein deposits and as an alteration product of sulphide minerals. It can also be formed biogenically - a major source being salt domes, where it has formed by the bacterial decomposition of calcium sulfate.

Synonyms of Native SulphurHide

Other Language Names for Native SulphurHide

Afrikaans:Swawel
Albanian:Squfuri
Anglo-Saxon:Sulfur
Asturian:Azufre
Aymara:Asuphri
Basque:Sufre
Bosnian:Sumpor
Catalan:Sofre
Corsican:Zolfu
Croatian:Sumpor
Czech:Sรญra
Danish:Svovl
Dutch:Zwavel
Esperanto:Sulfuro
Finnish:Rikki
French:Soufre
Friulian:Solfar
Galician:Xofre
Guarani:Itaysy
Haitian:Souf
Hungarian:Kรฉn
Icelandic:Brennisteinn
Ido:Sulfo
Indonesian:Belerang
Irish Gaelic:Sulfar
Italian:Zolfo
Solfo
Javanese:Welirang
Korean:ํ™ฉ
Kurdish (Latin Script):Kibrรฎt
Latvian:Sฤ“rs
Limburgian:Solfer
Lithuanian:Siera
Lojban:Sliri
Low Saxon/Low German:Swevel
Luxembourgish:Schwiefel
Maori:Pungatara
Norwegian:Svovel
Norwegian (Nynorsk):Svovel
Novial:Sulfre
Occitan:Sofre
Polish:Siarka
Portuguese:Enxofre
Romanian:Sulf
Serbo-Croatian:Sumpor
Sicilian:Sรนrfuru
Slovak:Sรญra
Slovenian:ลฝveplo
Spanish:Azufre
Sundanese:Walirang
Swahili:Sulfuri
Swedish:Svavel
Traditional Chinese:่‡ช็„ถ็กซ
Upper Sorbian:Syrik
Uzbek (Latin Script):Oltingugurt
Welsh:Sylffwr
West Flemish:Sulfer

Varieties of Native SulphurHide

Selenium-bearing SulphurA Se-bearing variety of sulphur.
Tellursulphur

Relationship of Native Sulphur to other SpeciesHide

Member of:
Other Members of Sulphur Group:
ClinosulphurS8Mon. 2/m : P21/b
RosickรฝiteSMon. 2/m : P2/b

Common AssociatesHide

Associations Based on Photo Data:
550 photos of Native Sulphur associated with CelestineSrSO4
482 photos of Native Sulphur associated with AragoniteCaCO3
465 photos of Native Sulphur associated with CalciteCaCO3
160 photos of Native Sulphur associated with GypsumCaSO4 ยท 2H2O
135 photos of Native Sulphur associated with BaryteBaSO4
126 photos of Native Sulphur associated with StibniteSb2S3
95 photos of Native Sulphur associated with QuartzSiO2
94 photos of Native Sulphur associated with GalenaPbS
66 photos of Native Sulphur associated with AnglesitePbSO4
62 photos of Native Sulphur associated with 'Bitumen'

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

1.CC.ClinosulphurS8Mon. 2/m : P21/b
1.CC.05RosickรฝiteSMon. 2/m : P2/b
1.CC.10Native SeleniumSeTrig. 32 : P3121
1.CC.10Native TelluriumTeTrig. 32 : P3121
1.CC.15'Iodine'I2

Other InformationHide

Thermal Behaviour:
With a low melting point of 113ยฐC, sulphur burns readily in air, with a low blue flame, and gives off choking fumes of sulphur-dioxide - acrid odor (forms sulphurous and eventually sulphuric acid in air).
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Industrial Uses:
Used in a great many applications, ranging from matches and fireworks to rubber.

Internet Links for Native SulphurHide

References for Native SulphurHide

Reference List:

Localities for Native SulphurHide

Showing 2,742 localities.

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.
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