Sulfur

Sulfur is produced from petroleum, natural gas, and related fossil sources, primarily obtained as hydrogen sulfide. Sulfur was traditionally extracted from salt domes (where it sometimes exists in nearly pure form) until the late 20th century. Sulfur is now produced as a byproduct of other industrial processes such as oil refining.

Types of sulfur:
• Petroleum sulfur
• Gas sulfur
• Industrial sulfur

A: Petroleum sulfur:
Sulfur is an element commonly found in crude oil and petroleum products. Sulfur is considered an undesirable impurity as it produces sulfur oxides upon combustion. As a result, most petroleum products are limited in the amount of sulfur they contain, and sulfur removal becomes an important part of the overall refining process. Sulfur can also damage certain catalysts used in processing units, so it needs to be removed from some intermediate streams before being fed into a conversion unit.

As a general rule, crude oil with high sulfur content will have a lower value. This type of crude oil is often referred to as sour crude.

After separation, sulfur can be sold as a low-value sulfur product or as solid sulfur or in a molten state. The largest use of sulfur is in the petrochemical industry for the production of sulfuric acid.

B: Gas sulfur
Sulfur burns with a blue flame, producing sulfur dioxide, which has a suffocating and irritating odor. Sulfur is insoluble in water but soluble in carbon disulfide and to some extent in other nonpolar organic solvents such as benzene and toluene. The first and second ionization energies of sulfur are 999.6 and 2252 kJ/mol, respectively. Despite these numbers, the +2 oxidation state is rare, with +4 and +6 being more common. The fourth and sixth ionization energies are 4556 and 8495.8 kJ/mol, respectively, and the size of the numbers is due to electron transfer between orbitals. These states are only stable with strong oxidants such as fluorine, oxygen, and chlorine. Some of these reactions require high temperatures.

C: Industrial sulfur

Sulfur is produced in refineries and used for various industrial and agricultural purposes in the form of granular sulfur and sulfur prills with a purity of 99.9%. Each industry utilizes either granular or prilled sulfur based on its specific needs.

In the production of sulfuric acid, sulfur prills are commonly used, while granular sulfur is used in agriculture for its benefits. Additionally, it is possible to produce granular bentonite sulfur fertilizer with a purity of 90%. Sulfur is produced in refineries and used for various industrial and agricultural purposes in the form of granular sulfur and sulfur prills with a purity of 99.9%. Each industry utilizes either granular or prilled sulfur based on its specific needs.

Application of sulfur in industries:
Sulfur is one of the most important raw materials in the chemical industry. It is used as a derivative (sulfuric acid) in many chemical and industrial processes, especially in the production of phosphate fertilizers, which is its largest end-use. Other key applications include rubber processing, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. The importance of sulfur for industrial economies and its relatively easy transportation has made it a major international commodity. It is obtained as a byproduct from operations such as petroleum refining, recovery of sulfur from tar sands, processing of heavy oil and natural gas, and coke production plants and metallurgy.

In the past five years, sulfur production has been influenced by the reduction in natural gas processing, changes in the raw material mix from sour to sweet crude oil, the abandonment of certain natural gas fields, and the shift in demand from certain types of fuels.

• Production of sulfuric acid
• Production of phosphate fertilizers

Exporting granular sulfur:

1. Bulk shipment: Granular sulfur is loaded in bulk in bulk carrier ships. If the buyer requires a purchase volume between 15,000 tons to 35,000 tons, it will be loaded in bulk in bulk carrier ships. The advantages of bulk transportation include lower overall transportation costs and the high volume of the cargo.

2. Container shipment: Granular sulfur is packed in jumbo bags and loaded into container shipments. Container shipments are suitable for smaller volumes ranging from 10 containers to 500 containers. After presenting the booking documents, the process of loading 24 to 26 one-ton jumbo bags into containers begins. The disadvantages of container shipment include the limited availability of a large number of containers and the time-consuming and costly process of loading and unloading.