Editing Sugar (section)

=== Flammability and heat response ===

[[File:Sugar 2xmacro.jpg|thumb|Magnification of grains of refined [[sucrose]], the most common [[free sugar]]]]

Because sugars burn easily when exposed to flame, the handling of sugars risks [[dust explosion]]. The risk of explosion is higher when the sugar has been milled to superfine texture, such as for use in [[chewing gum]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vmsoDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT120|title=The Science of Sugar Confectionery|last=Edwards|first=William P.|date=9 November 2015|publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry|isbn=978-1-78262-609-1|page=120|language=en}}</ref> The [[2008 Georgia sugar refinery explosion]], which killed 14 people and injured 36, and destroyed most of the refinery, was caused by the ignition of sugar dust.<ref>{{cite news|title=CSB Releases New Safety Video, "Inferno: Dust Explosion at Imperial Sugar"|date=7 October 2009|work=[[U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board]]|location=Washington, D.C.|access-date=17 May 2021|url=https://www.csb.gov/csb-releases-new-safety-video-inferno-dust-explosion-at-imperial-sugar/|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424011424/https://www.csb.gov/csb-releases-new-safety-video-inferno-dust-explosion-at-imperial-sugar/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In its culinary use, exposing sugar to heat causes [[caramelization]]. As the process occurs, [[Volatility (chemistry)|volatile]] chemicals such as [[diacetyl]] are released, producing the characteristic [[caramel]] flavor.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Characteristics of the Thermal Degradation of Glucose and Maltose Solutions |journal=Prev Nutr Food Sci |date=2015 |pmid=26175997 |pmc=4500512 |last1=Woo |first1=K. S. |last2=Kim |first2=H. Y. |last3=Hwang |first3=I. G. |last4=Lee |first4=S. H. |last5=Jeong |first5=H. S. |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=102–9 |doi=10.3746/pnf.2015.20.2.102 }}</ref>