Hygroscopy in the context of "Chia seed"

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⭐ Core Definition: Hygroscopy

Hygroscopy is the phenomenon of attracting and holding water molecules via either absorption or adsorption from the surrounding environment, which is usually at normal or room temperature. If water molecules become suspended among the substance's molecules, adsorbing substances can become physically changed, e.g. changing in volume, boiling point, viscosity or some other physical characteristic or property of the substance. For example, a finely dispersed hygroscopic powder, such as a salt, may become clumpy over time due to collection of moisture from the surrounding environment.

Deliquescent materials are sufficiently hygroscopic that they dissolve in the water they absorb, forming an aqueous solution.

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πŸ‘‰ Hygroscopy in the context of Chia seed

Chia seeds (/tΚƒiːə/ CHEE-Ι™) are the edible seeds of Salvia hispanica, a flowering plant in the mint family (Lamiaceae) native to central and southern Mexico, or of the related Salvia columbariae, Salvia polystachia, or Salvia tiliifolia. Chia seeds are oval and gray with black and white spots, and have a diameter of around 2 millimetres (0.08Β in). The seeds are hygroscopic, absorbing up to 12 times their weight in liquid when soaked and developing a mucilaginous coating that gives chia-based foods and beverages a distinctive gel texture.

There is evidence that the crop was widely cultivated by the Aztecs in pre-Columbian times and was a staple food for Mesoamerican cultures. Chia seeds are cultivated on a small scale in their ancestral homeland of central Mexico and Guatemala and commercially throughout Central and South America.

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Hygroscopy in the context of Magnesium oxide

Magnesium oxide (MgO), or magnesia, is a white hygroscopic solid mineral that occurs naturally as periclase and is a source of magnesium (see also oxide). It has an empirical formula of MgO and consists of a lattice of Mg ions and O ions held together by ionic bonding. Magnesium hydroxide forms in the presence of water (MgO + H2O β†’ Mg(OH)2), but it can be reversed by heating it to remove moisture.

Magnesium oxide was historically known as magnesia alba (literally, the white mineral from Magnesia), to differentiate it from magnesia nigra, a black mineral containing what is now known as manganese.

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Hygroscopy in the context of Sulfuric acid

Sulfuric acid (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphuric acid (Commonwealth spelling), known in antiquity as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen, and hydrogen, with the molecular formula H2SO4. It is a colorless, odorless, and viscous liquid that is miscible with water.

Pure sulfuric acid does not occur naturally due to its strong affinity to water vapor; it is hygroscopic and readily absorbs water vapor from the air. Concentrated sulfuric acid is a strong oxidant with powerful dehydrating properties, making it highly corrosive towards other materials, from rocks to metals. Phosphorus pentoxide is a notable exception in that it is not dehydrated by sulfuric acid but, to the contrary, dehydrates sulfuric acid to sulfur trioxide. Upon addition of sulfuric acid to water, a considerable amount of heat is released; thus, the reverse procedure of adding water to the acid is generally avoided since the heat released may boil the solution, spraying droplets of hot acid during the process. Upon contact with body tissue, sulfuric acid can cause severe acidic chemical burns and secondary thermal burns due to dehydration. Dilute sulfuric acid is substantially less hazardous without the oxidative and dehydrating properties; though, it is handled with care for its acidity.

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Hygroscopy in the context of Lactose

Lactose is a disaccharide composed of galactose and glucose and has the molecular formula C12H22O11. Lactose makes up around 2–8% of milk (by mass). The name comes from lac (gen.Β lactis), the Latin word for milk, plus the suffix -ose used to name sugars. The compound is a white, water-soluble, non-hygroscopic solid with a mildly sweet taste. It is used in the food industry.

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Hygroscopy in the context of Glycerol

Glycerol (/ˈɑlΙͺsΙ™rΙ’l/) is an organic compound with chemical formula C3H5(OH)3. It has a three-carbon backbone and is a simple triol compound (an alcohol with three hydroxyl groups). It is a colorless, odorless, sweet-tasting, viscous liquid. Because of its three hydroxyl groups, glycerol is miscible with water and is hygroscopic in nature.

The glycerol backbone is found in lipids known as glycerides, where one or more of the hydroxyl groups are esterified with fatty acids. The most abundant of glycerides are triglycerides (found in animal fats and vegetable oils), it is where glycerol is most commonly found in nature. It is also widely used as a sweetener in the food industry and as a humectant in pharmaceutical formulations.

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Hygroscopy in the context of Sodium metasilicate

Sodium metasilicate is the chemical substance with formula Na
2SiO
3, which is the main component of commercial sodium silicate solutions. It is an ionic compound consisting of sodium cations Na
 and the polymeric metasilicate anions [–SiO
3–]n. It is a colorless crystalline hygroscopic and deliquescent solid, soluble in water (giving an alkaline solution) but not in alcohols.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Magnesium oxide ← Sulfuric acid ← Lactose ← Glycerol ← Sodium metasilicate ← Chia seed
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Water → Molecule → Absorption (chemistry) → Adsorption → Natural environment → Boiling point → Viscosity → Aqueous solution →