What does sulfurize mean?
Sulfurize means to treat a substance with sulfur or to cause sulfur to combine with it. The process is especially important in rubber manufacturing, where sulfur forms bonds between polymer chains and improves the material's strength, elasticity, and resistance to cracking. Related uses occur in chemical processing and the treatment of oils and other industrial materials. The verb is most often encountered in technical or specialized writing rather than everyday speech. In North American English it is normally spelled sulfurize; the traditional British spelling is sulphurize. Although simple alternatives such as sulfurate overlap in meaning, sulfurize is particularly associated with the deliberate addition of sulfur during industrial processing.
verbTo treat a material with sulfur or cause it to combine with sulfur, especially in order to change its chemical properties.
- To treat a material with sulfur or cause sulfur to combine with it.
"The manufacturer uses sulfur to vulcanize the rubber before molding it."
"The compound is sulfurized before it is introduced into the reactor."
"Sulfurizing the rubber improves its strength and resistance to cracking."
Sulfurizing rubber creates bonds between its polymer chains, helping produce the stronger, more elastic material used in tires.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sulfurize come from?
Sulfurize was formed in the 19th century from sulfur and the combining form -ize. The element's name comes from Latin sulphur, while -ize continues the wider Greek and French suffix tradition for forming verbs. The related spelling sulphurize reflects the traditional British form of sulfur; both words ultimately share the same Latin and Greek roots.
Related word forms
How sulfurize is actually used
A technical term chiefly found in chemistry, manufacturing, and materials science. The spelling sulfurize is standard in North American English, while British English normally uses sulphurize.