THE FOUR ELEMENTS: WATER II - THE UNIVERSAL SOLVENT
Ashinze Emmanuel
ML/AI Engineer | Researcher | Chemical / Process Engineer | Driving AI-Powered Innovation in Energy & Engineering
Avatars,
As a Universal solvent, water is helpful for much industrial work due to its ability to dissolve a large number of substances, something that it can do because it is a polar liquid. By polar, we mean it possesses a partially positive charge on each hydrogen atom and a partially negative charge on the oxygen atom. This occurs because the oxygen atom is more electronegative than the hydrogen atoms. This property of water makes it useful in cleaning, washing, solution making, extraction, manufacturing, preparing ingredients, mixing, and treating waste. We all know this, but I will dwell on its industrial uses and give examples of water we can use. First, it dissolves liquids, gases, and solids and cleans them.
Dissolution of Liquids
Water can dissolve many liquids, and it's worth mentioning the many industrial uses of this fact. Alcohols such as ethanol form hydrogen bonds with water molecules, which dissolve in water. One illustration of their dissolving is the production of alcoholic drinks in the beverage industry and the manufacturing of liquid pharmaceutical preparations in the pharmaceutical industry. Ethylene glycol, an ingredient in antifreeze, dissolves in water and is used because it lowers the freezing point of water, which is very important for cooling systems
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Dissolution of Solids
Due to its polar nature, water dissolves many other solid substances, primarily ionic and polar compounds. Fortunately for us, our industry takes advantage of this fact. Salts are a common food additive that enhances the flavour of many different types of food. They are also used as flocculants in water treatment to remove present particles. Sugars such as sucrose (table sugar) and glucose dissolve in water through hydrogen bonding. This is an essential process in the food and beverage industry as it sweetens many types of drinks and foods. It is also a key component in many fermentation processes
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Dissolution of Gases
Water is also capable of dissolving gases. The solubility of gases in a liquid is lower than that of solutes in a solvent, but it varies with temperature and pressure. Gases that are essential for aquatic life are dissolved oxygen, which is used in wastewater treatment to provide aerobic bacteria that break down the organic pollutants, and carbon (IV) oxide, which dissolves in water to form carbonic acid, a means of generating carbonated water and used in the chemical industry in carbonation and pH control processes (e.g., soaps and detergents). Dissolved ammonia is also present in industrial refrigeration systems as a coolant and is one of the nitrogen sources used in fertiliser production
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Cleaning
As the cornerstone of most industrial cleaning processes, water is a key component in CIP (Clean-In-Place) Systems, automated cleaning systems that use water and cleaning agents to clean the interior surfaces of pipes, vessels, and equipment without disassembly. This method is a standard practice in dairy, brewery, and beverage production plants, ensuring the highest cleanliness and safety standards
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Avatars, it's crucial to always consider water as a universal solvent in formulating any process and understand its role in existing ones. A thorough understanding of water's properties and its use in various industrial processes is key. Among the four elements, a poor mastery of water will only lead to overcomplicating simple processes and wasting resources.?
To learn more about water and its uses in the industry as a universal solvent, please visit the following links:
Student at University of Lagos
4 个月Well said However why should I be Avatar when I could be better?