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Rising Sulphur Prices Hit DAP, SSP Supply in India
Soaring sulphur prices, linked to escalating West Asia and Russia-Ukraine conflicts, applies to availability constraints for di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), single super phosphate (SSP), and other major complex fertilisers in India. The news brief comprises key facts on sulphur’s occurrence, properties, distribution in India, and uses.
Sulphur:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Chemical identity | Sulphur (identified by the letter S) comprises a non-metallic chemical element. |
| Occurrence | Sulphur comprises occurrence as a pure element, or as sulphate or sulphide minerals. |
| Natural occurrence and abundance | Sulphur comprises natural occurrence in the environment, and comprises belief as the thirteenth most abundant element in the earth’s crust. |
| Properties | In its pure form, sulphur comprises a tasteless, odorless, brittle solid with a pale yellow color; comprises poor electrical conductivity; and comprises non-dissolution in water. |
| Chemical reactivity | Sulphur comprises direct combination with almost all elements, with the exception of gold, platinum, and the noble gases. |
| Distribution in India | In India, sulphur comprises main occurrence in: Puga Valley (Jammu & Kashmir), Barren Island of Bay of Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Himachal Pradesh. |
| Use in chemical industries | Sulphur comprises an essential raw material for many chemical industries and comprises use for production of sulphuric acid. |
| Sulphuric acid: industrial uses | Sulphuric acid comprises a strong mineral acid, and comprises use in ore processing, fertilizer manufacturing, oil refining, waste water processing, and chemical synthesis. |
| Other industrial uses | Powdered sulphur produced by sublimation process comprises use in rubber vulcanisation, agricultural dusts, pharmaceutical products, and stock feeds; sulphur comprises use as a light-generating medium in “sulphur lamps”; and sulphur compounds comprises use in detergents, fungicides, dyestuffs, and agrichemicals. |