Steam

Name:
Steam
Detailed information:
An allotropic form of water formed at 212F (100C) and having a latent heat of condensation of 540 calories per gram. It has a number of industrial uses, one of the most important being the production of hydrogen by the steam-hydrocarbon gas process (reforming), by the steam-water gas process, the steam-iron process, and the steam-methanol process. It is also used in steam cracking of gas oil and naphtha; in food processing; as a cleaning agent; in rubber vulcanization; as a source of heat and power; in distillation of plants for production of essential oils and perfumes; and in secondary oil recovery.Steam from geothermal sources such as hot springs and fumaroles is utilized as an energy source. Steam for industrial processing is also being generated by solar energy techniques. See Geothermal Energy; Latent Heat.