Aluminum sulfide, written Al₂S₃ or Al2S3, is an inorganic compound that reacts with water. This guide explains what the material is, how it behaves and what to ask before you buy. It also shows how to look for aluminum sulfide in Nampa, Idaho, where none of the three brand sites we reviewed mention a local presence.
This guide gives lab managers, students and buyers a plain answer instead of a catalog pitch. Each section opens with a short answer and then adds detail you can check against a safety data sheet. Read it in order or jump ahead.
What Is Aluminum Sulfide?
Aluminum sulfide is an aluminum and sulfur compound with the formula Al₂S₃. Chemists also write aluminium sulphide or aluminum trisulfide, and they file it under CAS 1302-81-4 and EINECS 215-109-0. Reference tables list molecular weight 150.16, which makes it a simple metal sulfide on paper.
The aluminum sulfide formula follows from charge neutrality, because two aluminum ions at plus three balance three sulfide ions at minus two. That oxidation state pairing explains the 2:3 ratio. Keep one warning in mind: not to be confused with aluminum sulfate, which contains oxygen and dissolves in water.
What Is the Chemical Structure of Aluminum Sulfide?
The chemical structure arranges aluminum and sulfur in a lattice that reports describe as a hexagonal crystal form or a rhombohedral structure. The bonding sits between extremes, because partially ionic bonding combines with real covalent character. Electron donation from aluminum to sulfur drives the attraction, while orbital overlap adds directional strength.
Different preparations give different crystal structure types, so ask a supplier which phase it ships. A formula alone leaves that open. Powder X-ray diffraction settles it quickly, so ask for those results.
What Do the Physical Properties of Aluminum Sulfide Look Like?
The physical properties vary with purity and preparation, so sources describe the same material in different ways. One page reports a grayish-white to yellow solid, another lists light yellow granules, and a third lists a colorless or gray solid. Treat color as a rough guide, not a purity test.
As a crystalline solid with density 2.02 g/cm³, it behaves like a brittle solid and crushes easily into powder. Zegen’s page lists a high melting point, with melting point 1100 °C and boiling point 1500 °C, while AHP marks both as not available, so verify them. Thermal stability looks good in dry conditions, but a pungent sulfur odor tells you that moisture has already reached the sample.
Is Aluminum Sulfide Soluble in Water?
No, aluminum sulfide does not simply dissolve in water; it reacts with it. That chemical reactivity and moisture sensitivity explain why suppliers pack it in sealed containers. The reaction with water produces aluminum hydroxide, Al(OH)₃, and hydrogen sulfide gas (H₂S).
This hydrolytic instability appears as hydrolysis in moist air and hydrolysis in hot water, and each hydrolysis reaction releases a toxic and flammable gas. The reaction with acids also frees H₂S and leaves aluminum salts behind. Some references list a reaction with sulfur dioxide and a reduction by iron, so confirm those against a data sheet first.
How Does the Synthesis of Aluminum Sulfide Work?
The synthesis of aluminum sulfide relies on the direct combination of elements, where aluminum metal and sulfur react at high temperature. The Al₂S₃ synthesis reaction (2Al + 3S) releases heat vigorously. Producers therefore use controlled-environment synthesis, which also serves as oxidation prevention.
Raw materials usually start as aluminum powder and elemental sulfur, because fine powder reacts evenly. A high-temperature reaction in dry, inert conditions keeps oxygen and moisture away from the product. Industrial production adds controlled particle size, and downstream applications decide how fine the powder must be.
What Purity Grades and Forms Can You Buy?
Buyers commonly ask for high-purity aluminum sulfide at 99.9% purity, 99.99% purity or 99.999% purity. AHP lists 99.999% purity in powder form on its catalog page, and Zegen offers custom specifications. Match the grade to your application and budget before you compare prices.
Other forms include granules, and particle size matters because finer powder reacts faster with moisture. AHP says other forms and purities may come as custom orders, so buyers who want custom-made products should send an inquiry. Zegen states that laboratory, pilot and industrial scale orders are possible, and some research groups ask for ultrafine nanocrystals, so ask any supplier whether it can make them.
What Is Aluminum Sulfide Used For?
Most uses fall into three groups: chemistry and metallurgy, ceramics and heat-resistant materials, and energy and electronics. Many of the newer uses remain at the research stage. Treat claims of commercial use with care until a supplier shows you data.
Industrial applications center on the compound’s ability to release sulfur on demand. Materials science groups explore the rest. This guide separates what the brand sites state from what general references suggest.
How Do Chemists Use Aluminum Sulfide?
Chemists use it mainly for hydrogen sulfide production, because moisture triggers H₂S generation on demand. It also serves in metal sulfide precipitation and chemical synthesis. As a laboratory reagent, it works as an aluminum source and a reactive sulfur source.
Chemical intermediates, specialty sulfide materials and other sulfur-based compounds come next. Catalysis and catalyst development appear in research summaries. Metallurgical applications describe it as a sulfiding agent or flux additive in smelting processes.
Does Aluminum Sulfide Belong in Ceramics?
Reference summaries mention advanced ceramics, but the published evidence for real products stays thin. Researchers explore ceramic composites and ceramic formulations that need heat-resistant materials, mostly in laboratory studies. Treat these as research directions, not established products you can order today.
The same summaries link the compound to high-strength materials, furnace linings and aerospace components. Thermal resilience drives that interest. Teams still need to confirm performance.
Can Aluminum Sulfide Support Batteries and Electronics?
It can, but so far only in research settings, not in everyday commercial products. Energy storage studies test aluminum-sulfur batteries as a lithium battery alternative to lithium-ion batteries. AHP and Zegen describe these uses as research stage rather than commercial.
Battery research focuses on anode materials, especially metal sulfide anodes and nanostructured electrode materials, and on the electrochemical behavior of a graphene oxide composite in supercapacitors. Papers also compare it with lithium sulfide and tin dioxide (SnO₂), while photovoltaics work examines photovoltaic properties and semiconductor applications use thin films with the compound as a dopant. Optoelectronics, sensors and high-temperature electronic components round out the list, and each remains an exploration rather than a standard product.
What Aluminum Sulfide Safety Precautions Matter Most?
Aluminum sulfide safety precautions start with keeping the material dry. Contact with moisture releases hydrogen sulfide, so treat it as a water-reactive material. Zegen lists UN 3134 (class 4.3, PG 3), and class 4.3 covers substances that give off flammable gas on contact with water.
Handling and storage rules follow from that, so choose dry storage in airtight containers or moisture-free containers and avoid acids and oxidizers nearby. Work in a well-ventilated area or a fume hood, and wear protective gloves, protective masks and other protective equipment. A fire hazard and toxic gas exposure both follow any hazardous gas release, so set up controlled environments and keep hydrocarbons elsewhere before the order arrives.
What Should You Look for in an Aluminum Sulfide Service Provider?
Look for a provider that states its purity grades, packaging and custom options in writing. Ask for a safety data sheet and a certificate of analysis for the exact lot you will receive. Confirm how the company ships UN 3134 material to Nampa, Idaho.
A short checklist covers grade, particle size, packaging, quantity range and quotation process. Zegen, for example, asks buyers to send purity, quantity and application for a quotation, so prepare those three details first. Ask for sealed plastic film packaging inside an outer airtight container, and keep every answer in an email thread.
What Services Do Canrud, AHP Materials and Zegen State on Their Websites?
Each brand offers the services listed on its own website, and this page repeats only what those sites confirm. Canrud lists a cell fabrication service, AHP Materials lists Al₂S₃ as a catalog product, and Zegen lists custom specifications. None of the three mentions Nampa.
Canrud, also written Canrd, publishes an educational aluminum sulfide article, and its related products block lists a cell fabrication service for dry cells, assembled cells or custom formats used in R&D validation. The block also lists coin cell cases, sodium electrolytes and experimental materials. The listing does not tie these items to aluminum sulfide.
AHP Materials, based in Houston, Texas, lists Al₂S₃ at 99.999% purity as a powder in sealed film packaging. Its page says other forms and purities may come as custom orders on request, and it invites inquiries. It also notes that many applications remain in early-stage research.
Zegen Advanced Materials states that custom specifications, particle sizes and packaging options exist for laboratory, pilot and industrial scale use. Its page asks buyers to send purity, quantity and application for a quotation. Check the site for the current service list.
How Do You Find Aluminum Sulfide in Nampa?
Start by listing what you need: grade, form, quantity and delivery date. Then compare each provider site directly against that list. None of the three brand pages mention Nampa, so confirm shipping to Nampa, Idaho, in writing before you order.
Hazard class affects shipping, so ask which carrier handles UN 3134 material and who covers the cost. Ask where the package will wait if nobody signs for it, because a humid porch is a poor place for moisture-sensitive powder. Plan a dry shelf and a fume hood before the delivery.
Why Is This Site the Easiest Way to Find a Provider?
This site gathers the technical background and provider details in one place, so you do not need to read several catalogs side by side. It lists what each brand’s own website confirms and nothing more. You finish with a checklist and a short list of providers to contact.
Readers in inorganic chemistry courses, laboratory experiments and academic research projects get the advantages and limitations of the compound in plain terms. Early-stage research teams get questions to send to suppliers. Everyone gets research-stage claims labeled clearly.
FAQS About Aluminum Sulfide?
What is the aluminum sulfide formula?
The aluminum sulfide formula is Al₂S₃. It combines two aluminum atoms with three sulfur atoms in every single formula unit. Chemists use the same formula whether they write aluminum sulfide or aluminium sulphide in a report, paper or safety label.
Is aluminum sulfide dangerous?
Yes, when it meets moisture or acids. Contact releases hydrogen sulfide, a toxic and flammable gas, so store it dry and handle it in a fume hood. Read the supplier’s safety data sheet before you open the container for the first time.
Can you buy small quantities of aluminum sulfide?
Possibly, but confirm with each provider. AHP lists a catalog product in powder form, and Zegen asks buyers to state their quantity in a quotation request. Neither page states a minimum order size, so ask each company directly before you plan.
Does any listed brand mention Nampa?
No, none of the three brands mentions Nampa. The Canrud, AHP Materials and Zegen pages we reviewed do not mention Nampa anywhere in their text. Ask each provider about shipping to Nampa, Idaho, and about carrier rules for hazardous goods before you order.