vulcanization

noun vul·ca·ni·za·tion \ ˌvəl-kə-nə-ˈzā-shən \

|Updated on: 24 Jun 2018

Definition of vulcanization

: the process of treating crude or synthetic rubber or similar plastic material chemically to give it useful properties (such as elasticity, strength, and stability)

Recent Examples of vulcanization from the Web

Around this time, manufacturers began using a chemical known as disulfiram to accelerate the vulcanization of rubber.

— richard klasco, New York Times, "Can I Drink Alcohol While Taking Antibiotics?," 15 June 2018
More than three millennia before Charles Goodyear gets credit for inventing vulcanization, the Olmecs were making rubber in what is now southern Mexico, in 1600 B.C.

— susannah gardiner, Smithsonian, "How Native Civilizations Innovated to Conquer the Wilderness," 2 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vulcanization.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.