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Supercritical fluids combine properties of liquids and gases
Compressed above critical thresholds substances effuse like gas while dissolving like liquid
A supercritical fluid occurs when a substance is heated and compressed beyond its critical temperature and pressure points. Under these conditions, distinct phase boundaries between liquid and gas vanish entirely. The resulting fluid diffuses through solids like a gas while dissolving solutes like a liquid, making supercritical carbon dioxide useful for coffee decaffeination.
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Tags: materials, thermodynamics, fluids
Supercritical fluids combine properties of liquids and gases: the short answers
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- Compressed above critical thresholds substances effuse like gas while dissolving like liquid. The figure is taken from US Department of Energy, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
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