Molten Sulpher

[daski]

I just came across a detail on drawings circa 1970, North Carolina. For attaching a metal guardrail post to a concrete slab, the note on the drawings pointed to a cast-in-place metal pocket and said "set post in molten sulpher." (I would normally say, "set in grout".)
Does anyone know what this molten sulpher is?


Mark Daski

 

[unclesyd]

The reference is to "sulphur cement" used primarily to set acid brick and tiles in the chemical industry. It is a molten product that has an operating temperature of 130C-170C. While melted it gives off rather nauseous fumes of SO2. There are several types of SC on the market. It is comes in wraps like asphalt and is generally melted in a tar baby.
SC has generally been replaced by Furan Cements except is some very specific cases.

In your case I believe that epoxies have replaced SC as a grout. The only problem might be is that SC sets up black.