MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SULPHUR SUGGESTS MANY POTENTIAL USES

CRUDE, RUN-OF-THE-MINE ELEMENTAL SULPHUR HAS A COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF APPROXIMATELY 3,300 PSI, A TENSILE STRENGTH OF APPROXIMATELY 160 PSI AND A MODULUS OF RUPTURE OF APPROXIMATELY 200 PSI. THE IMPACT STRENGTH OF SULPHUR WAS UNDESIRABLY LOW. STUDIES REVEALED THAT THE STRENGTH OF SULPHUR IS A FUNCTION OF ITS CRYSTALLINE ALLOTROPIC MODIFICATION AND CAN BE CONTROLLED BY ADJUSTMENTS IN THE TIME-TEMPERATURE HISTORY OF THE SULPHUR, BOTH IN THE MOLTEN FORM AND AFTER SOLIDIFICATION. THE STRENGTH OF SULPHUR WAS FOUND TO BE MASS-DEPENDENT. ADDITION OF PLASTICIZERS CAN IMPROVE THE IMPACT STRENGTH OF SULPHUR AND MAKE IT MORE PLASTIC, ALTHOUGH NOT ELASTIC. OTHER METHODS FOR IMPROVING THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SULPHUR ARE THE INCORPORATION OF FIBROUS MATERIALS, SUCH AS GLASS FIBER, AND THE ADDITION OF FILLERS, SUCH AS MINERAL AGGREGATES AND OTHER MATERIALS. THE STRENGTH AND BEHAVIOR OF SULPHUR MODIFIED BY A PLASTICIZER IS INTIMATELY RELATED TO THE CHEMICAL REACTION BETWEEN THE PLASTICIZING POLYMER AND THE SULPHUR. A NEW APPLICATION FOR SULPHUR IS THE RIGID SULPHUR FOAMS WHICH HAVE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES THAT BEAR A CERTAIN RESEMBLANCE TO THOSE OF RIGID URETHANE FOAMS. RIGID SULPHUR FOAM CAN BE FOAMED-IN-PLACE AND THE COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF THE LOW DENSITY MATERIAL APPEARS TO BE SUFFICIENT FOR MANY STRUCTURAL APPLICATIONS. SULPHUR-AGGREGATE CONCRETE IS A THERMOPLASTIC MIXTURE OF ELEMENTAL SULPHUR WITH FINE AND COARSE AGGREGATE. SULPHUR-AGGREGATE CONCRETES ARE REGARDED NOT SO MUCH AS A REPLACEMENT FOR CONVENTIONAL CONCRETE, ALTHOUGH THEY CAN BE USED AS SUCH, BUT AS A MATERIAL THAT CAN BE USED IN SITUATIONS WHERE CEMENT-BASED CONCRETES HAVE LIMITING CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS LOW CURING TIME, LOW STRENGTH, LOW CHEMICAL RESISTANCE, AND TEMPERATURE SENSITIVITY. STRIPE MARKING MATERIAL FOR MARKING ROADS, PARKING LOTS, AIR FIELDS IS ANOTHER APPLICATION FOR SULPHUR. PLASTICIZED SULPHUR EXHIBITS SUFFICIENT IMPACT STRENGTH AND ADHESION TO PERFORM AS A HIGHWAY MARKING MATERIAL.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 3, No 4, PP 19-22, 4 FIG, 9 REF
• Authors:
  • Dale, J M
• Publication Date: 1968

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Sulphur Institute Journal

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Coarse aggregates; Compressive strength; Concrete aggregates; Crystallography; Fillers (Materials); Foams; Mechanical properties; Modulus of rupture; Plasticizers; Road marking materials; Shock resistance; Sulfur; Tensile strength
• Uncontrolled Terms: Impact strength
• Old TRIS Terms: Traffic marking materials
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00216341
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 13 1994 12:00AM