{{Short description|Ammonia detection tool}} thumb|Sulfur sticks sold in a bundle '''Sulfur sticks''' are tools used in industrial ammonia refrigeration systems to detect minor ammonia leaks. A sulfur stick is made from a wick which contains particles of sulfur. The sulfur stick is lit and burns with an open flame,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Jeremy |date=May 14, 2019 |title=Ammonia Leak – Sulfur Stick – Burning {{!}} Online Industrial Training |url=https://www.gcapcoolcast.com/ammonia-leak-sulfur-stick-burning/ |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=Garden City Ammonia Program |language=en}}</ref> and the color of the sulfur smoke is used to find the leak. When there is no ammonia present, the smoke is colorless, but the combination of sulfur and ammonia vapors produce a white fog.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n5cpAQAAMAAJ |title=Refrigeration Engineering |date=1940 |publisher=U.S. Office of Technical Services. |pages=4 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=May 2015 |title=ACCIDENT PREVENTION AND RESPONSE MANUAL for Anhydrous Ammonia Refrigeration System Operators |url=https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-05/documents/accident_prevention_ammonia_refrigeration_5-20-15.pdf |publisher=U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7}}</ref>
The reaction between the sulfur dioxide formed by burning the stick and ammonia gas mainly produces ammonium sulfite. The monohydrate and metabisulfite of this substance is also formed.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Guo |first=Yanxia |last2=Liu |first2=Zhenyu |last3=Huang |first3=Zhanggen |last4=Liu |first4=Qingya |last5=Guo |first5=Shijie |date=2005-12-01 |title=Reaction Behavior of Sulfur Dioxide with Ammonia |url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ie050734q |journal=Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research |language=en |volume=44 |issue=26 |pages=9989–9995 |doi=10.1021/ie050734q |issn=0888-5885|url-access=subscription }}</ref> {{DEFAULTSORT:Sulfur Sticks}} Category:Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
== See also ==
* Litmus * Smoke testing
== References == {{Reflist}}{{Material-stub}}