To remove sulfur or sulfur compounds from fuel, metal, or industrial gases, especially to reduce air pollution.
From de- + sulfur + -ize (American verb suffix). Coined in the 20th century as environmental protection became a priority.
Desulfurize became a household word (sort of) when the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment in the US required power plants to cut sulfur dioxide emissions in half—transforming an entire industry overnight.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.