Superheating
Heating a liquid to a temperature above its boiling point without boiling / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is about the phenomenon where a liquid can exist in a metastable state above its boiling point. For pressurized water above 100 °C, see superheated water. For the device used in steam engines, see superheater. For the 'superheat' used in vapor-compression refrigeration, see Vapor-compression refrigeration § Thermodynamic analysis of the system.
In thermodynamics, superheating (sometimes referred to as boiling retardation, or boiling delay) is the phenomenon in which a liquid is heated to a temperature higher than its boiling point, without boiling. This is a so-called metastable state or metastate, where boiling might occur at any time, induced by external or internal effects.[1][2] Superheating is achieved by heating a homogeneous substance in a clean container, free of nucleation sites, while taking care not to disturb the liquid.
This may occur by microwaving water in a very smooth container. Disturbing the water may cause an unsafe eruption of hot water and result in burns.[3]