CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

desiccant dryers    →   sredstva za sušenje

Desiccant dryers (air dryers) use nonconsumable chemicals such as silica gel or active alumina, and can remove almost all the moisture from compressed air by adsorbing moisture on its surface. The method of regeneration, the process of removing adsorbed water from the desiccant, is the primary distinguishing feature among the various types of desiccant dryers. There are three ways to regenerate a desiccant: with air, internal or external heaters, or a heat pump.

non-soap cleanser    →   nesapunsko sredstvo za čišćenje

Non-soap cleansers (detergents) are synthetically produced from byproducts of oil refining and are used in the production of washing powder, shampoos and hair conditioners.

reducing agent    →   redukcijsko sredstvo

Reducing agent may be defined in various ways, depending upon the context in which the phrase is used. In broad terms it is often taken to mean a chemical which can act as an electron donor. Thus, in the reaction:

the zinc is being reduced (gaining electrons) by reaction with the iron cations; the Fe²⁺ in this instance is acting as a reducing agent.

aerogel    →   aerogel

Aerogel is a low-density porous transparent material that consists of more than 90 % air. Usually based on metal oxides or silica, aerogels are used as drying agents and insulators.

desiccator    →   eksikator

Desiccator is a glass container with dry atmosphere due to the presence of some dehydrating agent. It is used for protecting the samples, reagents or precipitates from humidity. As dehydrating agent usually waterless calcium chloride (CaCl₂) is used.

activated charcoal    →   aktivni ugljen

Activated charcoal or activated carbon is charcoal that has been activated for adsorption by steaming or by heating in a vacuum. Charcoal is obtained by burning wood, nutshells, coconut husks or other materials. Charcoal becomes activated by heating it with steam to approximately 1000 °C in the absence of oxygen.

The chemical nature of amorphous carbon, combined with a high surface area makes it an ideal medium for the adsorption of organic chemicals. A single gram of such material can have 400 m² to 1 200 m² square meters of surface area. Activated charcoal is widely used to decolorize liquids, recover solvents, and remove toxins from water and air.

aerosol    →   aerosol

Aerosols are colloidal dispersions of liquid or solid particles in a gas, as in a mist or smoke. The commonly used aerosol sprays contain an inert propellant liquefied under pressure. The pressure of the gas causes the mixture to be released as a fine spray (aerosol) or foam (aerogel) when a valve is opened.

antacid    →   antacid

Antacid is any mildly alkaline substance, such as sodium bicarbonate, taken internally or in water solution to neutralize excess stomach acidity.

Bordeaux mixture    →   bordoška juha

Bordeaux mixture is a mixture of copper(II) sulphate and calcium hydroxide in water, used as fungicide.

Californian soup    →   kalifornijska juha

Californian soup is a fungicide and insecticide chemical used for protection of plants, manufactured by boiling sulphur with slaked lime.