What the buyer specifies
- Required elemental sulphur purity
- Granular, prilled or other accepted form
- Moisture, ash, hydrocarbon and acidity limits
- Particle-size distribution and handling tolerance
- End use and any contaminant restrictions
- Quantity, packing or bulk format and shipment programme
- Destination facility, storage plan and environmental controls
- Inspection, documentation, delivery rule and payment structure
A purity such as 99.5% may be used as an enquiry reference, but the live offer and final contract set the binding analysis. Moisture and bulk-density figures become binding only when included in the final specification.
Representative granular specification
The table below is a representative reference specification a buyer may cite when framing a requirement for granular technical sulphur. It is not a certificate and it does not evidence any particular cargo. The binding analysis is fixed only in a live offer and final contract, and is confirmed against independent inspection evidence at load for the actual parcel.
| Parameter | Representative reference value |
|---|---|
| Purity (elemental sulphur) | > 99.8% wt, minimum |
| Colour | Bright yellow |
| Moisture | < 0.5% wt |
| Form | Spherical granule, 2 to 6 mm |
| Size distribution | > 6.3 mm: < 5.0% · < 1.0 mm: < 2.0% · < 0.3 mm: < 0.5% · 2.8 to 5.6 mm: ≥ 75% |
| Bulk density | ≥ 1,040 kg/m³ loose · ≥ 1,200 kg/m³ packed |
| Ash | ≤ 0.01% |
| Acidity (as H₂SO₄) | ≤ 0.01% |
Values are indicative of a common granular grade and vary by producer and process. The buyer specifies the purity, form, granulometry, moisture and any contaminant limits that the requirement actually needs; the seller confirms the achievable analysis in the offer, supported by a certificate of analysis and independent inspection at load.
Origin and delivery planning
Suitable origins are assessed against the buyer’s specification, quantity, shipment window, destination and landed economics. The live offer identifies the proposed producer or seller, country of origin, load point, quantity and route.
Each proposed transaction is reviewed using the actual origin, counterparties, banks, vessel or carrier, route and destination.
The parties select the appropriate Incoterms® 2020 rule only after confirming the transport mode and exact named port or place. FOB, CFR or CIF may suit sea or inland-waterway movements; FCA, CPT or CIP may suit containerised or multimodal movements. The receiving facility must be able to manage dust, fire risk, runoff, segregation and safe storage.
Inspection and destination requirements
The file may include a certificate of analysis, safety data sheet, certificate of origin, weight evidence, independent inspection and transport documents. Product classification, environmental permissions and dangerous-goods controls depend on the origin, route, form and destination.
Product, import, inspection, customs and documentation requirements are confirmed for the actual destination, importer and declared end use.