Section: CRUSU Market & Features

CRU’s annual Sulphur+Sulphuric Acid Expoconference was held from November 3rd to 5th, at The Woodlands, Texas.

The global sulphur market’s bullish momentum from late 2025 has firmly carried over into the New Year, with prices pushing forward across most key regions despite a slow return to spot trading after the holiday break. With spot prices now past their 2022 highs and testing levels not seen since the 2008 peak, affordability has become the market’s central theme. The market remains divergent, with some buyers forced to accept the rally due to tight supply, while others, particularly in China, are showing clear signs of demand destruction.

A complete listing of all articles and news items that appeared in Sulphur magazine during 2025.

Sulphur prices have risen rapidly in recent months as the market moves into a period of deficit which is likely to last until 2028.

The Chinese ammonium sulphate industry continues to see rapid growth, with exports rising to record levels, against increasing demand coming from Brazil and India.

• CRU’s latest global sulphur forecast is for a January price peak before a decline, with the key downside risk being a sharper correction if the supply deficit closes faster than expected. The global sulphur market’s upward momentum has been slowing, with attention shifting to geopolitical risks in Iran. Despite limited physical disruption being reported, the upside risk to prices could be substantial. Following the US bombing of an Iranian nuclear facility back in June, supply from Iran became bottlenecked, despite good production levels, as vessel owners became unwilling to call at ports like Bandar Abbas due to the increased risk.

The switch towards battery technologies like lithium iron phosphate (LFP) is leading to major growth in demand for sulphur and sulphuric acid.

Süd-Chemie discusses the importance of pressure drop in a sulphuric acid plant and the many benefits that can be gained from using a guard bed, typically in the first bed of the converter to safeguard the catalyst bed and increase campaign life.

Thiomaterials reports on the key features and successful performance of Thiotrack sulphur concrete sleepers, offering high fatigue endurance with a truly reversible circular binder.

Bryan Research & Engineering (BR&E) and INEOS GAS/SPEC continue their review of neutralisation of heat stable salts. Part 2 focuses on how caustic (NaOH) affects amine chemistry and corrosion and the effects of adding too much NaOH.