Polymer such as rubber, suberin, melanin and lignin. Naturally occurring polymers such as cotton, starch and rubber were familiar materials for years before synthetic polymers such as polyethene and perspex appeared on the market. Many commercially important polymers are synthesized by chemical modification of naturally occurring polymers. Prominent examples include the reaction of nitric acid and cellulose to form nitrocellulose and the formation of vulcanized rubber by heating natural rubber in the presence of sulfur. Ways in which polymers can be modified include oxidation, cross-linking and endcapping. Especially in the production of polymers the gas separation by membranes has acquired increasing
Texas Gulf Sulfur Company Texas Gulf Sulfur Company The Texas Gulf Sulphur Company was one of the largest sulfur mining companies in the world from 1919 to 1981. The Gulf Sulphur Company was formed on December 23, 1909 by a group of investors from St. Louis and Texas. The company was formed to exploit the newly discovered sulfur deposit in the Big Hill salt dome near Matagorda, Texas, using the Frasch Process. In 1916 Bernard Baruch and J.P. Morgan took control of the company and Seeley W. Mudd became President. On 16 July 1918, the company was renamed the Texas Gulf Sulphur Company. Construction