Definition: To vulcanize means to treat rubber with heat and chemicals to make it stronger and more durable. This process helps the rubber become more resistant to wear and weather, making it useful for many products, like tires.
While "vulcanize" primarily refers to rubber treatment, it can sometimes be used metaphorically to describe a process of strengthening or toughening something else, though this usage is less common.
There aren't specific idioms or phrasal verbs that include "vulcanize," but you might find phrases like "toughen up" used in a more general sense to describe making something stronger.
Vulcanize is a specific term used mainly in industry to describe how rubber is treated to improve its properties.