Vulcanization is a process for hardening rubber by curing it with sulfur and heat, forming cross-links between the polymer chains that make the material more rigid and durable and, unlike most other treatments of thermosetting polymers, generally irreversible. The British inventor Thomas Hancock patented the sulfur-and-heat vulcanization process in the United Kingdom on November 21, 1843, eight weeks ahead of the American Charles Goodyear, who patented essentially the same process in the United States on January 30, 1844, after years of his own independent experimentation. The word vulcanization itself was suggested by William Brockedon, a friend of Hancock's, drawing on the Roman god Vulcan, associated with fire, heat and sulfur, and the process remains the standard way of turning soft natural or synthetic rubber into a durable, useful material.
Facts
Patent or First-Use Date SignificanceThere are many uses for vulcanised materials, some examples of which are rubber hoses, shoe soles, toys, erasers, hockey pucks, shock absorbers, conveyor belts, vibration mounts/dampers, insulation materials, tires, and bowling balls. Most rubber products are vulcanised as this greatly improves their lifespan, function, and strength. 1 FAQs
Did Charles Goodyear discover vulcanization by accident?
Yes: in 1839 he dropped a rubber and sulfur mixture on a hot pan.
According to the usual account, yes. In 1839, while trying to mix rubber with sulfur, Goodyear accidentally dropped the mixture in a hot frying pan, and instead of melting further or vaporizing, the rubber remained firm and became harder as he increased the heat. He then worked out a consistent system for this hardening and by 1844 had patented the process and was producing the rubber on an industrial scale.
Connections
In Field
Source Vulcanization (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Invented By
Source Charles Goodyear (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Sources
1. Vulcanization (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationWikipedia Vulcanization, History section, Goodyear frying-pan account
One day in 1839, when trying to mix rubber with sulfur, Goodyear accidentally dropped the mixture in a hot frying pan. To his astonishment, instead of melting further or vaporizing, the rubber remained firm and, as he increased the heat, the rubber became harder.
Wikipedia Vulcanization, History section, Hancock/Goodyear patent sentence
On 21 November 1843, British inventor, Thomas Hancock took out a patent for the vulcanization of rubber using sulfur, eight weeks before Charles Goodyear did the same in the US (30 January 1844).
Wikipedia Vulcanization, Applications section
There are many uses for vulcanised materials, some examples of which are rubber hoses, shoe soles, toys, erasers, hockey pucks, shock absorbers, conveyor belts, vibration mounts/dampers, insulation materials, tires, and bowling balls. Most rubber products are vulcanised as this greatly improves their lifespan, function, and strength.
- In Group: Synthetic Polymers and Polymerization Processes, lead sentence
In Field: Chemical Engineering, Categories
Chemical processes
View the Source Charles Goodyear (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationInvented By: Charles Goodyear, Article bodyQuote, Invented By: Charles Goodyear, Article body
In 1839, Goodyear was at the Eagle India Rubber Company in Woburn, Massachusetts, where he discovered that combining rubber and sulfur over a hot stove caused the rubber to become rigid, a process which he called vulcanization because of the heat involved.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.