Significant Functions Of Liquids In Spray Form

By Haywood Hunter


While the general meaning of the word spray is widely known, most would struggle to give a more definitive explanation of the term. To illustrate what it really means, we can look at the spray that is produced when a deodorant can is used. The deodorant itself is stored as a liquid in the container, and emerges into the air as a mist. This familiar example ties in perfectly with how a spray is defined as drops of liquid distributed in a gas.

In the illustration given, the deodorant droplets were scattered in the air. Sprays can also be contained within other gaseous mediums, though. One demonstration of this is where chemicals are sprayed into the gasses produced in power plants, to remove pollutants.

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.

One area where spraying has great usefulness is in the food and drinks industry. As well as spray washing fresh produce, foods can be coated with flavorings, or any other additives, using a spray. In the case where a food requires a spicy coating, a spray allows the precise amount of this to be controlled. If spice mix was simply poured on, it could easily end up far too hot for many people. Also, sprays allow an even quantity to be distributed over the entire surface.

Spray drying is another important process in the manufacturing of edible products. Liquid foods and drinks are dried by spraying them into hot air, which evaporates the moisture and leaves a powder. This procedure is used to create additives like colorings and spices, as well as more common staples such as instant coffee or powdered milk.

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.

Perhaps the most important use of sprays is where they are used in engines. Fuel sprays inject the fuel into many types of engine, including petrol, diesel, jet and rocket engines, and also in steam boilers. The injection of fuel in this manner is highly significant, because turning it into a spray creates a very high surface area, while also dispersing it through the air, which allows it to be ignited very efficiently.

As can be seen, the familiar but poorly understood concept of the spray touches our lives in numerous and powerful ways, whether that is in the power stations that heat our homes, the food we eat, common products like deodorants and spray paint, or the vehicles that make our world run.




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