Compounds

16 Uses of Sulfur and Its Compounds in Daily Life

Sulfur is a non-metallic chemical element with symbol S and atomic number 16. It has a bright yellow color and solid appearance at room temperature. Sulfur is one of common element that can be found on every layer of Earth.

There lots of chemical compound out there which contain of sulfur, because sulfur can reacts to any elements except gold, platinum, iridium, tellurium, and noble gases.

Sulfur Compounds

Here are the uses of sulfur and its compounds:

  1. Sulfur dioxide (SO2)

Sulfur dioxide is a toxic gas, which take part at global warming. Sulfur can be found on planet’s atmosphere. On Earth’s atmosphere, there are only a few amounts of sulfur dioxide concentrations.

Although it is a toxic gas, sulfur dioxide is considered safe to eat. Beside that, there are other Sulphur Dioxide Uses 

  1. Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4)

Sulfuric acid is a corrosive and highly flammable liquid. Due to its corrosivity, it’s dangerous if it is swollen, or even touch the skin. It could burn our skin if its touched, or even erode a hole on our skin.

  1. Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)

Hydrogen sulfide is a toxic, colorless, dangerous for nature and highly flammable gas. It can be found easily on volcanic gases. Due to its toxicity, it is dangerous to smell or inhales. If concentration of hydrogen sulfide increase, it can cause severe eye and respiratory effects, dizziness, vomiting, breath difficulties, even death.

  1. Dimethyl Sulfide (C2H6S)

Dimethyl Sulfide is a chemical compound which contain of sulfur. It is colorless and come with unpleasant odor. In manufactures dimethyl sulfide used as food addictive, fuels, etc.

  1. Methanethiol (CH4S)

Methanethiol is a chemical compound which has physical appearance just like dimethyl sulfide, it is colorless and also has a really unpleasant odor, lot of people said that it smells like a rotten cabbage.

  1. Sulfur Trioxide (SO3)

Sulfur Trioxide is a chemical compound which contain sulfur in a form of gas. With complex structure, this chemical compound is a main point in acid rain. Sulfur trioxide is useful in every sulfonation reactions.

  1. Zinc Sulfide (ZnS)

Zinc sulfide is an inorganic white chemical compound which can be found in nature. Wurtzite(Another name of zinc sulfide) has lots of uses such as, X-ray’s cathode, glow stick, infrared optics and etc.

  1. Ethanethiol (C2H6S)

Classified to ethyl group, this chemical compound has clear liquid appearance with formula CH3CH2SH. Ethanethiol can be found in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is why it is toxic, but it will not harm us in a small concentration. And many more.

Due to its popularity and reactivity, there are tons of advantages that we can get from any form of sulfur. Here are some uses and advantages : 

Uses of Sulfur in Health

Here are the uses of sulfur and its compounds:

  1. Antioxidant

Sulfur are good for our health, it could produce antioxidant which is great for detoxification. Sulfur usually found in high protein foods, so eggs, onions, garlic, seafood, are good for your health and also contain sulfur in it.

  1. Acne problems

Some skin care products usually put sulfur as an ingredients, as it is works great on mild to moderate acne, comedonal acne, blackheads, whiteheads, etc. Unfortunately sulfur didn’t work a lot on cystic breakout acne. Skin care which contains of sulfur usually will give you a cold and spicy feeling to your acne part, and it will gone for good the next morning. Choosing cream for your skin is also a bit tricky, you need to make sure the one you’re using didn’t contain these  27 Harmful Chemicals to Avoid in Skin Creams 

  1. Anti-allergic

Doctors usually came up with MSM to allergic people. MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) is a chemical that contain sulfur inside. It can be found on green plants, animals and human. But also can be made inside laboratory. MSM has an ability to form a natural block against allergens without any side effects. Also read: Chemicals in Electronic Cigarettes

  1. Medication

There are some diseases that can be healed with natural remedies, for example coughing or bronchitis. Acute bronchitis can be healed with sulfur. Sulfur will help bronchitis with dry cough, frequently at the end of an infection of the upper respiratory tract, dry smoker’s cough, coughs worse at night, etc. 

Uses of Sulfur in Industry & Manufactures

Here are the uses of sulfur and its compounds:

  1. Cosmetics

Since ancient-times, sulfur is known to be “Beauty Mineral” for its magic works. It’s a mineral which put into a cosmetics or skin care which will make a glowing and healthy skin, because sulfur create bonds in connective tissue and increase strength and flexibility.

Read also : FDA List of Approved Cosmetic Ingredients

  1. Synthetic – rubber

In making synthetic rubber, there are lots of methods that can be used, there are vulcanization with polychloroprene, vulcanization of silicone but the most common method is vulcanization with sulfur. It will forms bridges between individual polymer molecules. There are lots of advantages that we can get from volcanized rubber, such as a good strength and quality of rubber, higher melt point, absorbs less water, and much more

  1. Fertilizers

Sulfur is one of the most essential mineral for plant. It helps crops to provide direct and indirect nutrients for a living. It also helps plants to provide nutrients from other sources. Beside sulfur, there’s also potash that has 17 Uses of Potash in Agriculture Fields including as a fertilizer. Also read: Harmful Effects Of Using Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides

  1. Sulfuric Acid

Sulfur is the main ingredients on making one of the most used chemical in the world, sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is a raw material in making fertilizers, nitrogen, potassium, ore processing, oil refining, wastewater processing, chemical synthesis and other.

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