Sulfur Properties and Compounds Known to the ancients (in
Genesis it is called brimstone), sulfur was first classified as
an element in 1777 by Antoine Lavoisier. It is estimated to be
the ninth most abundant element in the universe. In the form of
sulfides, sulfates, and elemental sulfur, the element
constitutes about 0.03 percent of the Earth's crust. After
oxygen and silicon, it is the most abundant constituent of
minerals. Occurrence, properties, and uses. Native or free
sulfur occurs chiefly in volcanic or sedimentary deposits. The
former are located throughout the world; the latter are
especially common along the U.S. coastal region of Texas and
Louisiana. Coal, petroleum, and natural gas contain sulfur
compounds. Sulfur-containing ores include such sulfides as
pyrite (iron disulfide), galena (lead sulfide), cinnabar
(mercury sulfide), sphalerite (zinc sulfide), and chalcopyrite
(copper iron sulfide), as well as such sulfates as gypsum
(calcium sulfate) and barite or heavy spar (barium sulfate).
Where d