Sulfur

Element Sulfur

Sulfur (in non-scientific British use also sulphur) is a chemical element 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 chemical formula S8.
Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow, crystalline solid at room temperature.
Sulfur burns with a blue flame with formation of sulfur dioxide, which has a suffocating and irritating odor.
Sulfur is insoluble in water but soluble in carbon disulfide and, to a lesser extent, in other nonpolar organic solvents, such as benzene and toluene.

Sulfur isotopes are mainly used in medical applications. S-33 is used for the production of the therapeutic radioisotope P-33. S-32 is used for the production of the radioisotope P-32 which is also used for therapeutic purposes. S-34 can be used for the production of the medical radioisotope Cl-34m and for S-35. Both S-33 and S-34 are used for genome research. Finally, S-36 has been used for the production of the radioisotopes S-37 and S-38.