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unvulcanized

unvulcanized

9.9
Rubber that has not been treated with heat to become harder and less sticky
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌnˈvʌlkənaɪzd/
  • Specialized
: no vulcanizado
  • When repairing tires, it is common to use patches made from unvulcanized rubber.
  • unvulcanized rubber
  • unvulcanized rubber compound

Examples

  • Unvulcanized rubber is often softer and more flexible than its vulcanized counterpart.

  • The articulated skeletal elements of each design were painted with vulcanizing cement and then covered with a layer of black unvulcanized rubber compound.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The factory produces various types of unvulcanized rubber for different industrial applications.

Antonyms

vulcanized
  • Specialized
2 7.6

Rubber treated with heat and chemicals to make it harder, stronger, and more elastic

Surface Forms

unvulcanized positive

Morphology

unvulcanized = vulcanized (transparent) = un + vulcanize + ed

Formed by adding the negative prefix 'un-' to the adjective 'vulcanized' (from the verb 'vulcanize'), so the meaning 'not vulcanized' is directly derivable.

Etymology

Unvulcanized is built from un- meaning 'not' and Vulcan, the Roman god of fire; to vulcanize rubber means to heat it with chemicals so it becomes hard and strong. So, unvulcanized rubber is rubber 'not' treated this way, and it stays soft and sticky.