Tuesday 25 March 2014

Significant Functions Of Liquids In Spray Form

By Haywood Hunter


The concept of a spray is known to all, but many would struggle to describe a spray precisely. A suitable definition for a spray is a mist scattered within a gas. A familiar example would be what is produced by spraying a can of underarm deodorant. The liquid inside the can is turned into a mist, which is of course dispensed into the air. It can easily be understood how this ties in with the definition.

Fleshing out the definition, the liquid in the illustration is of course the deodorant product. Once dispensed, the gas it is distributed within is of course the air. There are also instances where a spray is used in a medium other than air, such as where particular fluids can be sprayed into the fumes of power plants to make them less damaging to the environment.

The process of creating a spray is sometimes called atomization. In practice, the liquids are not literally split down into individual atoms, but rather, small liquid droplets. The significance of changing liquids into this state can be seen by looking at some examples of how sprays are used. Since liquid sprays are used in so many applications, only a selection will be considered.

Use of sprays is widespread in the manufacturing of food and beverages. Fresh grown foods are washed with sprays, and many ingredients are added in the form of a spray. The accuracy of a spray is ideal in cases like where spice must be added. Add too much and the result will put many people off, but get it just right and it adds a pleasant kick. This same accuracy allows great control over how additives are applied, ensuring that nowhere is missed out.

Another huge application for sprays within the food and drinks industry involves the process of spray drying. This is the technique used for creating such ubiquitous products as instant coffee, powdered milk, spices, colorings and many others. Because spraying turns a liquid into many tiny particles, these can be dried very quickly in warm air.

Although spray drying is not well known outside the manufacturing industry, a more familiar spray process is that of spray painting. Most people know of the simple and common cans of spray paint, but there are also more clever applications of spray painting. One such use involves giving the paint an electric charge, while the object being painted is made to attract the paint by giving it the opposite charge. Often this electrostatic spray painting provides superior results to painting with a brush, as it can be impossible to access certain areas with a brush.

Arguably one of the most significant of all uses of sprays is the way they are utilized in engines. In many engines, the fuel is turned into a spray directly before it is ignited, creating tiny, easily ignited drops of fuel mixed evenly with air, a very desirable combination. This principle is widely applied in jet, diesel, rocket and petrol engines, as well as in steam boilers.

Although many people do not have a full understanding of what a spray is, the fact that sprays are used in power generation, familiar items such as deodorants and spray paint, food production, and in running some of our most important forms of transportation, shows how important they can be.




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