Sulphured

Sulphured is an adjective describing a substance that has been treated with sulfur or that contains sulfur as part of its composition. The term reflects the British English spelling of sulfur, and it is commonly found in older scientific and industrial writing. In contemporary usage, more precise terms such as sulfurized, sulfur-containing, or sulphuretted are often preferred, depending on the context.

Etymology and spelling notes: sulphured is formed from the noun sulfur with the English suffix -ed to create an adjective. The form ultimately derives from Latin sulfur and Greek theion. The spelling with “ph” reflects the traditional British convention for the word sulfur, and is typically paired with the -ed ending in this usage.

Contexts and usage: In geology and mineralogy, sulphured describes rocks or minerals in which sulfur is a major constituent or present as sulfur-bearing compounds, such as sulfides or sulfates. In chemistry and materials science, the term can describe substances into which sulfur has been introduced through processing, for example through sulfidation or vulcanization of polymers, resulting in sulfur-containing materials. In older or regional literature, sulphured may appear where sulfur treatment or sulfur incorporation is described, though modern writing often favors more specific terminology to indicate the nature of the sulfur association.

See also: sulfurization or sulfuration, sulfur-containing compounds, elemental sulfur, sulfide minerals.