Sulphur

Notholt, A.J.G.. 1974 Sulphur. London, UK, HMSO, 52pp. (Mineral Dossier No. 8)

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Abstract/Summary

Sulphur is an essential raw material with a very wide range of industrial uses. It is used chiefly in the manufacture of sulphuric acid and to a lesser degree in the rayon, pulp, dyestuffs, pharmaceutical and rubber industries. The three most important commercial sources are (1) the deposits which form the cap-rock of a number of salt domes in the USA and Mexico and the sedimentary deposits in south-eastern Poland; (2) 'sour' or sulphur-bearing natural gas in which hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is a deleterious constituent; and (3) pyrites, chiefly in the form of iron pyrites or pyrite (FeS2). Other important sources are base metal sulphide concentrates, notably of zinc, during the smelting of which sulphur dioxide (S02) is evolved; H2S recovered from oil refinery gases; and the calcium sulphate mineral anhydrite (CaS04). The United Kingdom is a major world producer of sulphuric acid but is deficient in naturally-occurring sources of sulphur which can be worked economically, with the notable exception of anhydrite, which has been mined on a larger scale in the United Kingdom than in any other country and in 1972 accounted for about 11 per cent of the sulphuric acid produced. Estimated production of anhydrite amounted to 778,000 tonnes in 1972, almost all of which was used for making sulphuric acid. It was produced by Albright and Wilson Limited at Sandwith, Cumberland, and by British Gypsum Limited at the Long Meg mine near Penrith, Cumberland. Anhydrite was also mined by Imperial Chemical Industries Limited at Billingham, Co Durham, until August, 1971. The output has been consumed by the producing companies with the exception of anhydrite produced at Long Meg which was transported by rail to a sulphuric acid plant at Widnes in Lancashire until the plant closed in March, 1973. Other commercial sources of sulphur in the United Kingdom are spent oxide, S02 gases obtained from zinc smelting, and sulphur recovered at oil refineries. Together with anhydrite, these sources accounted for about one-fifth of total annual sulphur requirements, which were estimated to have been about 1.3 million tonnes in 1972. Domestic demand is therefore met largely by imports, chiefly of crude sulphur from France, Poland, Mexico and Canada, and of pyrites principally from Cyprus. Imports of crude sulphur and pyrites in 1972 were valued at nearly £ 11 million. Large quantities of sulphur or sulphur compounds are also potentially recoverable from industrial waste (flue) gases and residual fuel oil. Although processes for the reduction of the S02 content of industrial waste gases to permissible limits have reached large-scale operation in the United Kingdom, they do not permit the economic recovery of sulphur. There is also growing interest in desulphurising fuel oil, but sulphur is not recovered from this source in the United Kingdom at present. World production of sulphur and sulphur equivalent amounted to some 45.5 million tonnes in 1972 compared with about 42 million tonnes in 1970, when for the first time output of recovered sulphur (chiefly that derived from natural gas processing) exceeded production from Frasch and other primary sources. Most of the production came from the USA, Canada, the USSR, Poland, Mexico and France, the USA having dominated world production and trade for many years until 1968, when Canada became the principal sulphurexporting country. The USA, Canada, Poland and France account for most of the world crude sulphur exports, supplying about 7.7 million tonnes in 1971, largely to markets in western Europe. World consumption of sulphur in all forms reached 31.8 million tonnes in 1972. World resources of sulphur are extremely large and are believed to be sufficient to meet anticipated demand for many years. Historically the demand for elemental sulphur has grown at the rate of 4 to 5 per cent per annum but may rise above this level in the next few years. The demand is closely linked with that for phosphatic fertilisers, the largest single outlet for sulphuric acid, the slowing down in the sales of which as well as the introduction of new sources of supply of sulphur, led to an excess of supply in 1968 and a subsequent marked fall in sulphur prices. Since the Second World War periodic shortages of crude sulphur and accompanying high prices have prompted several countries to consider the use of raw materials other than crude sulphur and pyrites, particularly those available domestically. However, these sources are no longer economically attractive, except in special circumstances.

Item Type:	Publication - Report
Programmes:	BGS Programmes > Economic Minerals
Funders/Sponsors:	Institute of Geological Sciences
Additional Keywords:	Mineral, Sulphur
NORA Subject Terms:	Earth Sciences
Date made live:	25 Jul 2025 17:11 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/539897

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