What is solidification and examples

Solidification is a physical process in which the change of status of any matter that passes from fluid to solid. This phenomenon is carried out due to a decrease in temperature and energy that exists between the chemical bonds of the elements that constitute the matter.

Generally, every compound that suffers a solidification process decreases its volume, now occupying a lower space. However, water is an exception, and as we have all been able to verify on occasion, the volume of ice is greater than that of liquid water, although we always take into account the shape and determined volume of the container that contains them.

Each substance and element of nature has its own point or temperature of concrete solidification, from which, said substance will change state and It will go from being a liquid element to become solid.

For example, the Water solidification point or temperaturethat is, the liquid to solid transition point is exactly 0 ºC. This exact temperature is directly related to water density, and will be relevant when knowing what change in pressure and temperature will need a certain volume of water to move from liquid to solid.

In the next section we will see some of the most common cases in which the solidification process of different liquids and substances to obtain food and other materials that we use in our day to day intervenes.

Some of the most common processes involved in this phenomenon that happens in various substances are the following Solidification examples:

• Water solidification In obtaining the ice, carrying the water to its freezing point (0 ° C), a point where the liquid passes to solid state, increasing in size and thus forming ice, always maintaining the shape of the container that contains it.
  
• Jewelry elaboration through the solidification of gold, silver and other precious metals. For this, these molten metals are used as raw material, they are allowed to cool in a determined solid and resistant mold, thus achieving the subsequent elaboration of various jewels such as rings and necklaces.
  
• Glass formation from the Sand solidification silica along with limestone and calcium carbonate. Through this process, each and every one of the different consistent glass containers that we usually use in our day to day are obtained.
• Chocolate preparationbecause using mixed cocoa grains and ground with water and milk, a semi -snowing paste is obtained that after being cooled and dried will solidify until the chocolate tablet shape and other specific forms with which chocolate is commonly marketed worldwide is acquired.
  
• The candies They are another clear example because the raw material is common sugar, which is burned and solidified in molds until it becomes candies.
• Butter and margarine. The manufacture of these foods is achieved on many occasions from an industrial solidification process in which raw materials are oils of animal or plant origin, respectively, which are kept in solid state at room temperature.
• The sausages As black pudding are another industrial processes for food that makes use of the solidification of their ingredients is the preparation of sausages. In this case, marinated liquid blood is coagulates and maintains in this solid after maintenance in pork guts.
• Candles from waxes and oils. This simple natural candle manufacturing process allows us, from oil and waxes in a liquid state, obtaining hard consistency candles after solidifying the raw material.
• Jellysince from collagen and hydrated connective tissues of animal origin, it is possible to obtain gelatins of semi -solid consistency, after suffering the solidification of its components.
• Handmade clays. The mixture of the clay (a type of sand) with water results in a moldable mass that after cooling will solidify, maintaining the shape we have conferred when molding it.

A simple and illustrative way of learning to differentiate these three physical-chemical processes is through The water cycle and the study of the state changes of this vital element. Let’s see in detail that each process consists to see what is the Difference between solidification, condensation and vaporization.

• Solidification: As we have commented throughout the article, solidification consists in the passage from liquid to solid state.
• Condensation: Every gas that is subject to a temperature or pressure change becomes liquid through the condensation process, also known as precipitation. Learn more about this process in this other post about what the condensation of water and examples is.
• Vaporization: This process involves the passage from liquid to gaseous water, due to the increase in temperature, after exceeding its boiling point (100 ºC). When it occurs only on the surface or part of the matter it is called evaporation and when the vaporization we have commented on. Here we explain what is the evaporation of water and examples.

In this other article you can learn more about what the water cycle is.

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