Effects of sulphur on KN-sugar mix

I mixed some sulphur powder into the B1 powder and heated. It takes long to get it mixed at all, but then it happens and you have a very plastic mix with decreased viscosity and supposedly no intercrystalline water content. Classical recrystallized rozketry as Yawn does it works with saccharose hydrate that released the water to make the mix somewhat formable when heated.
When you use dehydrated powder instead and mix some sulphur in, firstly you notice the smell of SO2 in your nose and eyes as the SO2 reacts with water to form H2SO3. Ouch. I used heater which kept the temperature jumping from 130-145°C due to the thermostat hysteresis.
Results: shortly after the mix is formed, whitish sulphur is noticeable, but when hot is is plastified enough. I took four small samples. One fresh as soon as the mix was complete and paste-like. The other three were taken in some ~1h intervals. The viscosity and plasticity of the other three samples was much lower than of the fresh one, the latter three were about the same. I suspect less sulphur in the last sample due to sublimation. It also became apparent some chemical changes happened as mix retained much of the plasticity well under 100°C.

Chemical reactions, tests

TESTS: the four tiny samples were hot-rolled to form strands and kept on a table overnight.
Original state they were left in: hard, candy like
Condition in the morning: moist to outright wet. It was proven that the longer the sample was heated the mohe humidity it gained. I could try weighting methods next time.
- The first sample was still solid, original texture, burned well
- The second sample was bendable, formable, it was plastic like when hot, burned well
- The third sample was really moist, like... burned well
- Fourth sample was wet like bread in water, it left largest stain on the table. Burned well.

Conclusion on chemical processes:

1) saccharose hydrolysis releases water (either during caramelisation or by other means below)
2) acidic environment promotes hydrolysis (SO2 and H2SO3 and NO3-)
3) fructose has low melting point of 103°C compared to saccharose (186°C), or even sulphur (115°C)
4) fructose is highly hygroscopic, candymakers are scared of 0.5% fructose content in saccharose
5) H2SO3 is hygroscopic too (but less than H2SO4)


I wasn't able to confirm any nitrating of the sugars, which would be really, really nice ;-), but the surprise that it burned in 2mm thick, wet strand was really surprising!