Where to find natural sulfur deposits

Sulfur is found in many natural gas deposits as H2S. it is often removed to sweeten the gas, resulting in tons of sulfur produced weekly or daily at a treatment location. The Merichem LO-CAT process makes a decent elemental sulfur as it sweetens the gas. Not typically a bright yellow, but more subdued in color.
There are companies that collect it and sell it to AG stores for soil remediation. (it lowers the soil pH, as opposed to lime, which raises the pH). Grapes love sulfur.

Find a local AGWAY or some other farmer's co-op and you can buy a 50# bag of pretty pure elemental yellow sulfur powder. Shouldn't cost that much.

In N Dakota, there is a company called Basin Electric Cooperative that operates the Dakota Lignite Gasification facility in Beaulah, ND. That coal is high sulfur. Maybe you can source some there, not sure. Sulfur capture can also be used to make sulfuric acid. Not sure exectly what they do with it there.

Large amounts of molton elemental sulfur are produced from the Claus process. Large oil refineries use this to sweeten the crude. this goop is transported via rail and likely drops off some here and there to be found by the previous poster in this thread. This is a more pure Sulfur typically and bright yellow..

Sulfur is also found in metal ores. And is one reason Smelters were so polluting. The ore is mostly lead sulfide, copper sulfide, zinc sulfide etc. The first step historiucally is to roast it (oxidizing the ore with air blowers, at around 1000C.
The sulfur leaves as a gas (SO2) and if hydrated in the atmosphere made sulfurous acid, AKA acid rain.
To clean up their act, in the 70's they added sulfuric acid production units. Using V2O5 to convert the SO2 to SO3, then making sulfuric acid for sale upon containg it with water. A very lucrative product.

You can also go to the planet where Captain Kirk fought the Gorn. There was elemental sulfur everywhere there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDD3-2_wLR8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66YGpJ_HbBo#t=1374.716492

CORangefinder said:

If you're looking for it naturally occurring, you're going to need to look in areas of volcanic or geothermal activity. Then you'll need to figure out a method to extract and purify it.

Alternative thinking, there are other oxidizers besides sulfur that may be easier to find and use.

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I don't think Sulfur is an oxidizer in this application. It is a starting fuel, igniting at a lower temperature than the charcoal.

Nitrates and chlorates are the oxidizers.

Hot springs. See all that yellow stuff...



In our other thread on making BP from raw ingredients. I listed some links on how the South made it during the Civil War. I'll see if I can find them again.

dochudson said:

Justme11 got me to thinking...found this:

50# pure elemental yellow sulfur powder

http://www.amazon.com/Ground-Elemen...tone/product-reviews/B003EE8X1C?pageNumber=10

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Considering the small percentage of sulfur used in black powder, 50 lbs of sulfur would make something like 500 lbs of black powder.

From the other thread: http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=417673&page=5



Some reading on Sulfur production by the South during the Civil War:

http://civilwartalk.com/threads/how...tain-sulpher-for-gunpowder-manufacture.96029/

They used nitric acid to leach sulfur from iron pyrite.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id... sulphur from iron pyrite confederate&f=false

Another mention of refining sulfur:

Adjoining this part of the Works was the Sulphur Refinery, where this material was prepared from the crude stock, and made ready for the incorporating process. About one hundred and thirty tons of very impure sulphur had been received from Louisiana, for the use of the Powder Works; it had been purchased before the war by the planters for use in the making of sugar, and was bought up by the Confederate officers. The best quality of gunpowder has its sulphur chemically pure, which could be demonstrated by showing no trace of acid when powdered and boiled in water, and should entirely evaporate on a piece of glass when heated, leaving no stain. This can only be accomplished practically by distillation. The crude article was melted and poured into upright, thick wooden boxes five feet high and ten inches square at the bottom, tapering upwards; when cold the earthy matters would be found in the lower portion by subsidence, leaving about three feet apparently pure. This was broken off and placed into two kettles of suitable form and dimensions, having furnaces; the tops of these kettles were connected by a bent iron pipe to an enlarged portion, which was surrounded with water. On the application of heat the sulphur vaporized, and passing over through the pipe was condensed in the cooled portion, whence it trickled in a thick stream into a receiving vessel below; the first portions being rejected, the remainder was of a beautiful citron yellow when cold, and entirely pure.

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http://civilwartalk.com/threads/black-powder-without-sulfur.96740/

Seems to me that the making BP from non-commercially procured ingredients take knowledge of history and chemistry.

burlesontom said:

They used to sell tubs and bags of sulfer at the hardware stores. You put it on the grass to repel chiggers. As far as I know you should be able to buy it at Lowes and Home Depot.

Here ya go:

http://www.homedepot.com/s/sulfer?NCNI-5

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It looks like it is only 40 some % Sulfur.

Probably not good for black powder