WordNet

(especially of certain salts) becoming liquid by absorbing moisture from the air
melt away in the process of decay; "The fungi eventually deliquesced"
melt or become liquid by absorbing moisture from the air; "this type of salt deliquesces easily"

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潮解性の,融解性の
(化学的に)〈物質が〉溶ける,潮解する・溶解する

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出典(authority):フリー百科事典『ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』「2012/05/10 17:25:09」(JST)

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Hygroscopy is the ability of a substance to attract and hold water molecules from the surrounding environment. This is achieved through either absorption or adsorption with the absorbing or adsorbing material becoming physically 'changed' somewhat, by an increase in volume, stickiness, or other physical characteristic of the material, as water molecules become 'suspended' between the material's molecules in the process. While some similar forces are at work here, it is different from capillary attraction, a process where glass or other 'solid' substances attract water, but are not changed in the process (for example, water molecules becoming suspended between the glass molecules).

Hygroscopic substances include cellulose fibers such as cotton and paper, sugar, caramel, honey, glycerol, ethanol, methanol, diesel fuel, sulfuric acid, methamphetamine, many fertilizer chemicals, many salts (including table salt), and a huge variety of other substances.

Zinc chloride and calcium chloride, as well as potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide (and many different salts), are so hygroscopic that they readily dissolve in the water they absorb: This property is called deliquescence. Not only is Sulfuric acid hygroscopic in high concentrated form but its solutions are hygroscopic down to concentrations of 10 Vol-% or below. A hygroscopic material will tend to become damp and "cake" when exposed to moist air (such as salt in salt shakers during humid weather).

Because of their affinity for atmospheric moisture, hygroscopic materials might necessitate their being stored in sealed containers. When added to foods or other materials for the express purpose of maintaining moisture content, such substances are known as humectants.

Materials and compounds exhibit different hygroscopic properties, and this difference can lead to detrimental effects, such as stress concentration in composite materials. The amount a particular material or compound is affected by ambient moisture may be considered its coefficient of hygroscopic expansion (CHE) (also referred to as CME, coefficient of moisture expansion) or coefficient of hygroscopic contraction (CHC)—the difference between the two terms being a difference in sign convention and a difference in point of view as to whether the difference in moisture leads to contraction or expansion.

A common example where differences in hygroscopy can be seen is a plastic-laminated paperback book cover. Often, in a suddenly-moist environment, the book cover will curl away from the rest of the book. The unlaminated side of the cover absorbs more moisture than the laminated side and increases in area, causing a stress that curls the cover toward the laminated side. This is similar to the function of a thermometer's bi-metallic strip. Inexpensive dial-type hygrometers make use of this principle using a coiled strip.

The similar-sounding but unrelated word hydroscopic is sometimes used in error for hygroscopic. A hydroscope is an optical device used for making observations deep under water.

Engineering properties

The amount of moisture held by hygroscopic materials is usually proportional to the relative humidity. Tables containing this information can be found in many engineering handbooks and is also available from suppliers of various materials and chemicals.

Biology

The thorny devil features hygroscopic grooves between the spines of its skin to capture water in its desert habitat.

The seeds of some grasses have hygroscopic extensions that bend with changes in humidity, enabling them to disperse over the ground. An example is Needle-and-Thread, Hesperostipa comata. Each seed has an awn that twists several turns when the seed is released. Increased moisture causes it to untwist, and, upon drying, to twist again, thereby drilling the seed into the ground.

Thorny devils collect moisture in the dry desert via night-time condensation of dew that forms on their skin and is channeled to their mouths in hygroscopic grooves between the spines of their skin. Water also collects in these grooves when it rains. Capillary action allows the lizard to suck in water from all over its body.

Deliquescence

Deliquescent materials are substances (mostly salts) that have a strong affinity for moisture and will absorb relatively large amounts of water from the atmosphere if exposed to it, forming a liquid solution. Deliquescent salts include calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, zinc chloride, potassium carbonate, potassium phosphate, carnallite, ferric ammonium citrate, potassium hydroxide, and sodium hydroxide. Owing to their very high affinity for water, these substances are often used as desiccants, which is also an application for concentrated sulfuric and phosphoric acids. These compounds are used in the chemical industry to remove the water produced by chemical reactions.^{[citation needed]}

Polymers

Many engineering polymers are hygroscopic. These include: nylon, ABS, polycarbonate, cellulose, and Poly(methyl methacrylate).

Other polymers, such as polyethylene and polystyrene, do not normally adsorb much moisture, but are able to carry significant moisture on their surface when exposed to liquid water.^[1]

Type-6 nylon can absorb up to 9.5% of its weight in moisture.^[2]

References

^ Schwartz, S, Goodman, S (1982). Plastics Materials and Processes, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company Inc. ISBN 0-442-22777-9, p.547
^ http://www.sdplastics.com/nylon.html

External links

Video of Deliquescense of Calcium Chloride

English Journal

Sensitive Detection of Deliquescent Bacterial Capsules through Nanomechanical Analysis.

Nguyen SH1, Webb HK1.
Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids.Langmuir.2015 Oct 20;31(41):11311-7. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.5b02546. Epub 2015 Oct 12.
Encapsulated bacteria usually exhibit strong resistance to a wide range of sterilization methods, and are often virulent. Early detection of encapsulation can be crucial in microbial pathology. This work demonstrates a fast and sensitive method for the detection of encapsulated bacterial cells. Nano
PMID 26425936

In situ acidity and pH of size-fractionated aerosols during a recent smoke-haze episode in Southeast Asia.

Behera SN1, Cheng J2, Balasubramanian R3.
Environmental geochemistry and health.Environ Geochem Health.2015 Oct;37(5):843-59. doi: 10.1007/s10653-014-9660-1. Epub 2014 Nov 29.
The characterization of aerosol acidity has received increased attention in recent years due to its influence on atmospheric visibility, climate change and human health. Distribution of water soluble inorganic (WSI) ions in 12 different size fractions of aerosols was investigated under two different
PMID 25432456

Starmera pilosocereana sp. nov., a yeast isolated from necrotic tissue of cacti in a sandy coastal dune ecosystem.

Freitas LF1, Barbosa R2, Sampaio JP3, Lachance MA4, Rosa CA5.
International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology.Int J Syst Evol Microbiol.2015 Sep 11. doi: 10.1099/ijsem.0.000596. [Epub ahead of print]
Two strains of a new cactophilic yeast species were isolated from the columnar cactus Pilosocereus arrabidae in a sand dune ecosystem in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Phylogenetic analysis of sequences of the large subunit rRNA gene D1/D2 domains showed that the strains represent a sister species to Starm
PMID 26364192