Absorbed water

Trichloroethanoic acid, CCI3COOH. A crystalline solid which rapidly absorbs water vapour m.p. 58°C, b.p. 196-5" C. Manufactured by the action of chlorine on ethanoic acid at 160°C in the presence of red phosphorus, sulphur or iodine. It is decomposed into chloroform and carbon dioxide by boiling water. It is a much stronger acid than either the mono- or the dichloro-acids and has been used to extract alkaloids and ascorbic acid from plant and animal tissues. It is a precipitant for proteins and may be used to test for the presence of albumin in urine. The sodium salt is used as a selective weedkiller. 

CH OfiSj, H2C(S03H)2- a colourless, crystalline solid which readily absorbs water vapour decomposes on distillation. The potassium salt is prepared by heating methylene chloride with an aqueous solution of potassium sulphite under pressure at 150-I60" C. The free acid is obtained by decomposing the sparingly soluble barium salt with sulphuric acid. The aryl esters are very stable, but the alkyl esters decompose on heating to give ethers. Resembles malonic acid in some of its reactions. 

Physical Properties. All colourless liquids, completely miscible with water, except benzyl alcohol and cyclohexanol, which are slightly soluble. Pure glycol and glycerol have high viscosity, which falls as the hygroscopic liquids absorb water from the air. 

Microreticular Resins. Microreticular resins, by contrast, are elastic gels that, in the dry state, avidly absorb water and other polar solvents in which they are immersed. While taking up solvent, the gel structure expands until the retractile stresses of the distended polymer network balance the osmotic effect. In nonpolar solvents, little or no swelling occurs and diffusion is impaired. 

Fibers and Fiber Sources. Fibers are present ia varyiag amounts ia food iagredients and are also added separately (see Dietary fiber). Some fibers, including beet pulp, apple pomace, citms pulp, wheat bran, com bran, and celluloses are added to improve droppiags (feces) form by providing a matrix that absorbs water. Some calorie-controUed foods iaclude fibers, such as peanut hulls, to provide gastroiatestinal bulk and reduce food iatake. Peanut hulls normally have a high level of aflatoxias. They must be assayed for aflatoxia and levels restricted to prevent food rejection and undesirable effects of mycotoxias. 

The physical and chemical properties are less well known for transition metals than for the alkaU metal fluoroborates (Table 4). Most transition-metal fluoroborates are strongly hydrated coordination compounds and are difficult to dry without decomposition. Decomposition frequently occurs during the concentration of solutions for crysta11i2ation. The stabiUty of the metal fluorides accentuates this problem. Loss of HF because of hydrolysis makes the reaction proceed even more rapidly. Even with low temperature vacuum drying to partially solve the decomposition, the dry salt readily absorbs water. The crystalline soflds are generally soluble in water, alcohols, and ketones but only poorly soluble in hydrocarbons and halocarbons. 

Electrical Properties. Polytetrafluoroethylene is an excellent electrical insulator because of its mechanical strength and chemical and thermal stabihty as well as excellent electrical properties (Table 6). It does not absorb water and volume resistivity remains unchanged even after prolonged soaking. The dielectric constant remains constant at 2.1 for a temperature range of —40 to 250°C and a frequency range of 5 Hz to 10 GHz. 

Anhydrous calcium chloride absorbs water to a capacity of 3.5 kg/kg of calcium chloride and forms a nonreuseable brine. This technique is best suited for remote appHcations where modest dew point depressions are required and gas processing volumes are small. 

Uses of gelatin are based on its combination of properties reversible gel-to-sol transition of aqueous solution viscosity of warm aqueous solutions abUity to act as a protective coUoid water permeabUity and insolubUity in cold water, but complete solubUity in hot water. It is also nutritious. These properties are utilized in the food, pharmaceutical, and photographic industries. In addition, gelatin forms strong, uniform, clear, moderately flexible coatings which readily sweU and absorb water and are ideal for the manufacture of photographic films and pharmaceutical capsules. 

Sodium Borohydride. Sodium borohydride [16940-66-2] is a thermally stable, white crystalline soHd that decomposes in vacuo above 400°C. The heat of formation is —192 kJ/mol (—45.9 kcal/mol). NaBH is hygroscopic and absorbs water rapidly from moist air to form a dihydrate that decomposes slowly to sodium metaborate and hydrogen. It is soluble in many solvents including water, alcohols, Hquid ammonia and amines, glycol ethers, and dimethyl sulfoxide. 

The dielectric constant of a compound is increased by small amounts of absorbed water hence wire insulation for communications generally must have a dielectric constant as stable as possible in the presence of water or moisture. 

Epoxies are the most commonly used adhesives (qv). Silver and gold are sometimes added to an epoxy to improve its thermal conductivity. Polyimide, also used as an adhesive, has low shrinkage as well as low viscosity and can be cured at 180°C its primary drawback is a tendency to absorb water, as much as 6% by weight. 

Because monocalcium phosphate is incongmently soluble, it is typically contaminated with various amounts (6—10%) of dicalcium phosphate and free phosphoric acid resulting from in-process disproportionation of the monocalcium salt. Free phosphoric acid may render the product hygroscopic, and absorbed water plus acid catalyzes further decomposition to additional free acid and dicalcium phosphate. For this reason, industrial monocalcium phosphate may contain some dicalcium phosphate resulting from excess lime addition and then aged to ensure the removal of residual free phosphoric acid. 

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