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 working with representatives in India to encourage similar growth in sulfur usage. TSI worked with the International Fertilizer Industry Association and the Fertilizer Association of India to provide activities and resources on the use of sulfur in agriculture. TSI serves as a spokesperson for the sulfur industry with its Transportation Regulations and Logistics program. "TSI monitors for proposed changes to regulations impacting transportation and handling of sulfur and sulfur compounds." Their program covers transportation by rail, road, and sea transportation on regional, national, and international levels. The Sulphur Institute holds an international symposium annually titled The Sulphur Institute's Sulphur World