Appearance
Sulphur exists as several allotropes, of which orthorhombic Sulphur is the most stable. It is pale yellow, brittle, odourless solid

Source
Sulphur is widely distributed in nature as Iron pyrites, Galena, Gypsum, Epsom salts and many other minerals. It is commercially recovered from wells sunk into the salt domes along the Gulf Coast of the USA, and from the Alberta gas fields. It is also mined in Poland. The Frasch process is used to force heated water into the wells to melt the Sulphur, which can then be recovered chemically. Sulphur can also be recovered from Natural Gas and Crude Oil by conversion into Hydrogen sulphide, from which the Sulphur is liberated.

Uses
Sulphur is used in the vulcanisation of Black Rubber, as a fungicide and in black Gunpowder. Most Sulphur is used in the production of Sulphuric Acid, which is the most important chemical manufactured by western civilisations.

General Information
Sulphur occurs in several allotropic forms whether in the solid, liquid or gaseous state. Amorphous or 'plastic' Sulphur is obtained by fast cooling of the crystalline form, and is thought to have a helical structure with eight atoms per spiral. Crystalline Sulphur is made up of rings, each containing eight Sulphur atoms.

Sulphur is a component of fats, body fluids and bones. It is non-toxic in its elemental form and as sulphate, but Carbon disulphide, Hydrogen sulphide and Sulphur dioxide are all toxic, especially Hydrogen sulphide which can cause death by respiratory paralysis.