Google celebrates the birthday of Eunice Newton Foote with a graffiti slideshow – but who is she?
Google Doodle celebrates Eunice Newton Foote, pioneer of climate science.
7939 NW 21st St
Miami, Florida
Google Doodle celebrates Eunice Newton Foote, pioneer of climate science.
Ever wondered about the "behind-the-scenes" action that transforms a gloppy latex into the durable material we call rubber? One word–Vulcanization!
Borrowing from Roman mythology, vulcanization is named after Vulcan, the god of fire and metalworking. Quite fitting when you consider that it's truly nothing short of an alchemical marvel! But...what do we really know about vulcanization?
Vulcanization, in layman’s terms, is essentially cooking rubber; but not just throwing it willy-nilly into an oven. Oh no! It involves adding sulfur (or another curative) under heat to create advanced links between different polymer chains.
"Why does this matter?" you may ask.
In essence, without this transformative process your car tires would be as useful as a chocolate teapot on a hot summer day. Prior to vulcanization processes, natural rubber was known more for its adhesiveness and malleable nature over than being any sort secure or stable support – certainly something you wouldn't want carrying your vehicle at 70 miles per hour!
:< p>A simpler analogy: think of raw spaghetti strands akin to natural rubber - loose and flexible. When these 'spaghetti strands' are 'cooked' through vulcanization they become like cooked spaghetti - interconnected giving each other both structure and strength. :p>As such news surrounding \u003cb>\u003cvulcaniza tion' tends to hover around advancements in techniques or additives used during industry-based synthesis methods -, whether they're geared towards enhancing durability,cost efficiency or environmental sustainability. :p>S o , next time you hear 'v ulc ani zat i on', don't imagine spooky volcano gods.; instead consider those sturdy tires rolling smoothly beneath your feet - all thanks to the metamorphosis triggered by this incredible chemical process!