Polymer science be considered polymer science in the modern sense. In the 1840s, Friedrich Ludersdorf and Nathaniel Hayward independently discovered that adding sulfur to raw natural rubber (polyisoprene) helped prevent the material from becoming sticky. In 1844 Charles Goodyear received a U.S. patent for vulcanizing natural rubber with sulfur and heat. Thomas Hancock had received a patent for the same process in the UK the year before. This process strengthened natural rubber and prevented it from melting with heat without losing flexibility. This made practical products such as waterproofed articles possible. It also facilitated practical manufacture of such rubberized materials. Vulcanized rubber
The Sulphur Institute Symposium. The symposia are attended by producers, consumers, and traders in sulfur, as well as industry service providers, and feature speakers discussing a range of topics relating to sulfur. The 2010 Sulphur World Symposium was held in Doha, Qatar, from April 12 through April 15, 2010. The 2010 symposium featured a tour of the Ras Laffan Industrial City, which is not normally available to the public. Publications by The Sulphur Institute include market studies, industrial publications, general brochures about sulfur, and brochures on the agricultural uses of sulfur. Symposium proceedings are also available. Most publications are available in English, with