Editing Hygroscopy (section)

==Deliquescence==
{{redirect|Deliquescence|the album by Swans|Deliquescence (album)}}
Deliquescence, like hygroscopy, is also characterized by a strong [[chemical affinity|affinity]] for [[water]] and tendency to absorb [[moisture]] from the [[Earth's atmosphere|atmosphere]] if exposed to it. Unlike hygroscopy, however, deliquescence involves absorbing sufficient water to form an [[aqueous solution]]. Most deliquescent materials are [[Salt (chemistry)|salts]], including [[calcium chloride]], [[magnesium chloride]], [[zinc chloride]], [[ferric chloride]], [[carnallite]], [[potassium carbonate]], [[potassium phosphate]], [[ferric ammonium citrate]], [[ammonium nitrate]], [[potassium hydroxide]], and [[sodium hydroxide]]. Owing to their very high [[Chemical affinity|affinity]] for water, these substances are often used as [[desiccant]]s, which is also an application for concentrated [[sulfuric acid|sulfuric]] and [[phosphoric acid]]s. Some deliquescent compounds are used in the chemical industry to remove water produced by chemical reactions (see [[drying tube]]).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wells |first1=Mickey |last2=Wood |first2=Daniel |last3=Sanftleben |first3=Ronald |last4=Shaw|first4=Kelley |last5=Hottovy |first5=Jeff |last6=Weber |first6=Thomas |last7=Geoffroy |first7=Jean-Marie |last8=Alkire |first8=Todd |last9=Emptage|last10=Sarabia |first10=Rafael |title=Potassium carbonate as a desiccant in effervescent tablets |journal=International Journal of Pharmaceutics |date=June 1997 |volume=152 |issue=2 |pages=227–235 |doi=10.1016/S0378-5173(97)00093-8}}</ref>