Specification Lump Sulphur / Specification Lump Sulfur  

Physical properties
 Sulphur forms polyatomic molecules with
different chemical formulas, with the best-known allotrope being octasulphur, cyclo-S8. Octasulphur is a soft, bright-yellow solid with only a faint odour, similar to that of matches. It melts at 115.21 °C, boils at 444.6 °C and sublimes easily. At 95.2 °C, below its melting temperature, cyclo-octasulphur changes from α-octasulphur to the β-polymorph.

Chemical properties
Sulphur burns with a blue flame concomitant with formation of sulphur dioxide, notable for its peculiar suffocating odour. Sulphur is insoluble in water but soluble in carbon disulphide and, to a lesser extent, in other nonpolar organic solvents, such as benzene and toluene.

Shipment
Sulphurs dust, sulphur in water and burned sulphur can be very corrosive. Silver in the vicinity of sulphur turns black and paint may scale off. A cloud of sulphur dust is subject to risk of explosion and will easily be ignited by sparks from e.g. iron to iron, static electricity caused by friction and even among particles of sulphur. The risk of dust explosion can be prevented by proper ventilation of the container during stuffing or unstuffing.

Measures to be taken prior to stuffing containers

• Container must be very well cleaned and dried before stuffing.
• Ceilings also to be made dust-proof. Dirty sulphur is worthless.
• The floor must be lathed and well stopped.

Sulphur cargoes – a reminder on good practice on board bulk carriers
Major problems on board a bulk carrier have again highlighted problems encountered when carrying bulk sulphur cargoes. Relatively minor lapses or omissions in a vessel’s preparation to carry cargo can lead to major insurance claims. The following points and procedures are among those that must be followed if cargo claims and/or hull and machinery claims are to be avoided:

• all residues from previous cargoes must be removed.
• all loose paint, rust and/or scale must be removed.
• all traces of chlorides must be removed, especially those remaining after washing cargo holds with seawater.
• Cargo holds must be thoroughly fresh water washed and bilges drained.
• The cargo holds should be ‘grain clear’ prior to loading (i.e. equivalent cleanliness requirements as for grain cargoes).
• Holds must be inspected and approved and hatches must be watertight.
• See below for additional advice