硫化 (liú huà) — vulcanization (chemical process of treating rubber with sulfur to improve strength and elasticity)

Definition

Technical chemistry term for vulcanization — heating rubber with sulfur to make it stronger, more elastic, and more durable. Used almost exclusively in industrial and scientific contexts.

noun
vulcanization (chemical process of treating rubber with sulfur to improve strength and elasticity)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 硫化。
    liú huà Shì xiàng jiāo jiā gōng zhōng de zhòng yào bù zhòu.
    Vulcanization is an important step in rubber processing.
  • 硫化。
    Jīng guò liú huà chǔ lǐ de xiàng jiāo gèng nài yòng.
    Rubber treated with vulcanization is more durable.
  • 硫化。
    Zhè zhǒng cái liào xū yào gāo wēn liú huà.
    This material requires high-temperature vulcanization.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

硫liúsulfur
化huàbecome

硫 names sulfur, and 化 means becoming or treating.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
石石shístone
Sound part声符shēngfú
流
流liú硫liú
Same sound today

The left part 石 is stone; the right part 流 supplies the sound liú.

Open 硫 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

Open 化 →

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