The shell of sulfur coated urea was easily cracked due to sulfur being friable. Sulfur was modified with dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) to increase its strength and abrasion resistance. SEM images showed that the micro-structure of modified sulfur was denser and more uniform than pure sulfur. The strength of modified sulfur increased with the DCPD/S ratio. Experiments of urea particle coating with sulfur and modified sulfur were carried out in a fluidized bed coater. The shell of coated urea particles with modified sulfur was more compact than that with pure sulfur. The modification retarded the sulfur phase transformation from monoclinic to orthorhombic, avoiding the crack formation in the coating shell of sulfur. The modified sulfur coated urea particles can be produced with thinner shell and higher strength, and had better controlled release properties. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.