- Sulfur is a vital element in industrial chemical processes because it forms monoprotic or polyprotic sulfuric acids when combined with oxygen and hydrogen. These are valuable for their ability to break down complex molecules and cause more valuable solids to precipitate out of an aqueous solution. Sulfuric acid is used extensively in metal ore refining and the production of consumer goods. Sulfur can also be combined with elements like carbon to form substances useful for their viscous properties.
- Organic chemistry deals with sulfur for many of the same reasons that industrial chemistry prizes the substance; sulfur is a vital part of sulfuric acid, which is highly useful in constructing or deconstructing carbon based materials. Sulfite (SO3) can be reacted with a hydrocarbon to replace one or more hydrogen molecules in a functional group and diatomic sulfite (S2) can link two carbon chains together. Its ability to support long chains makes it valuable in organic nanotechnology as well.
- Sulfur is a naturally occurring element and its ability to react with carbon makes it a vital substance in environmental chemistry. Sulfur is essential in agriculture because many plants require sulfur in order to form complex amino acids. Sulfur can latch onto a molecule and give it a polar quality that will allow it to better interact with other polar molecules. Sulfur's value in agriculture as a component of fertilizer is widely known.
- Sulfur can also pose a hazard to the environment when it bonds with oxygen during industrial processes and is subsequently released into the atmosphere as sulfur dioxide. This and other related sulfur oxides are major components of acid rain. When they are brought back to earth in this state they can damage structures and kill vegetation. The emission of sulfur oxides as a byproduct of coal combustion is one of the most major contributors to atmospheric pollution in the world.
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