Almost every one of us has come across the word "powder". It is quite common in everyday life. But not many thought about its origin. About what "powder" is, its types and applications, later in the article.
Word in dictionary
In order to understand what a powder is, let's turn to the explanatory dictionary, which gives the following description. This is the state of solids that have been reduced to the maximum extent mechanically or otherwise. The particles do not connect with each other, as a result of which the powders have an arbitrary, free-flowing consistency.
They are widely used in various industries, in the national economy.
It is worth mentioning the origin of the word. "Powder" is a diminutive form of the word "gunpowder".
Views
Continuing the theme of what “powder” is, different types should be named depending on the scope of application, namely:
- medicinal;
- dental;
- abrasive;
- controversial;
- graphite;
- magnesia;
- talc;
- flour;
- washing;
- coloring;
- powder;
- gunpowder.
As you can see, the term is used to name substances used in various fields. Let's look at some in more detail.
Medicinal
Studying what a "powder" is, let's consider one of its most common types - medicinal. This is a solid form of a remedy intended for external or internal use.
This form has a number of advantages, for example:
- increasing and improving the therapeutic effect;
- convenience when preparing various mixtures;
- technological simplicity;
- convenience of transportation;
- increased shelf life compared to liquid forms of the same substances.
In addition to a large number of advantages, medicinal powders have some disadvantages, namely:
- rapid decomposition of the active substance under the influence of gastric juice;
- irritation of mucous membranes;
- slow rate of action of substances on the body compared to the liquid form;
- powders, if stored improperly, often become damp, the active substance disappears.
Medicinal powders are classified by the number of ingredients, dosage, method of application. It should be noted that it is impossible to clearly identify which dosage form is better, it all depends on the specific disease, the characteristics of the patient himself, the substances used, individualpreferences (sometimes, for whatever reason, it is preferable for the patient to take the powder).
Washing
Perhaps the most famous and most common of the varieties of powder is washing. Their modern modifications contain a whole mixture of various components, including: non-ionic and anionic surfactants (surfactants), soda, sulfate and sodium silicate (sometimes sodium chlorides).
Washing powder may contain both optical and chemical brighteners, cationic surfactants, fragrances, various binders, soaps and color additives. It has been considered a fairly popular laundry detergent for a long time.
However, recently, many people prefer to use not powder, but gel for washing. This is due not so much to the advertising of the product, but to a number of advantages of the latter. For example, more economical consumption and reasonable price. Gels do not leave streaks on clothes, which is often the case when using washing powder. Although in this case the main problem is the incorrect operation of the AGR.
Colouring
Studying the meaning of the word "powder", it is necessary to touch upon such an area as industry. In the 50s of the 20th century, an innovative method of coloring various materials was developed. It was called "powder" and became a very popular alternative to "liquid" paint application.
Its principle is as follows: on the prepared surfacesprayed with special powder paint. Paint particles from an external source receive an electric charge and are transferred to the product with the help of an electric field, excess powder paint is captured by a special air chamber. After that, the object is sent to a special chamber for "baking", polymerization.
After some time, a high-strength, monolithic coating is created on the surface of the product in the chamber. Monolithic application is achieved due to the fact that the particles are evenly distributed over the surface of the thing to be painted due to the electric charge.
The polymerization technology called “baking”, in addition to improving the visual qualities of the product, increases the strength and life of the painted surface.
This allows not only the processing of metal, ceramic, carbon and other parts, but also makes it possible to use them in various areas that were not previously intended. For example, wooden surfaces coated with a polymer are not afraid of moisture and can be used, for example, for the manufacture of bathroom furniture.
