How to separate sulfur and carbon powders? [closed]








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How can someone separate two elemental solids, in powder form, that are mixed together?


If I have a powder, and its mass is 60% carbon and 40% sulfur, how do I separate one from another in a high school level laboratory?




Two possibilities:


1. Distillation: Sulfur has the comparatively low boiling point of 718 K ​(445 °C). Heating in apparatus not affected by sulfur (which leaves out iron) will leave behind the carbon. [This is, after all, how sulfur winds up at volcanic vents, where it is harvested.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENY6z2pj2pQ) You might even create a retort out of concrete, which would simulate volcanic rock.
2. Sulfur is somewhat soluble in toluene and in carbon disulfide, but both are toxic and flammable, with $\ce{CS2}$ being particularly easy to ignite. These are not safe to use without proper training and equipment.


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