What Happens to Water in a Sealed, Heat-Resistant Container?

[Zenparticle]

My family and I were having a discussion about what would happen to water if it was inside a closed environment, such as an explosive proof container and had increasing heat applied to it what would the water do? If the container was one that could stand the heated up molecules inside it without ever bursting would the water and or water vapor reach higher and higher temperatures? Thanks.

 

[russ_watters]

Do not attempt this experiment! - THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN EXPLOSIVE PROOF CONTAINER! Water, when heated in a closed container (ie, a boiler) will act according to its' phase diagram: http://www.cbu.edu/~mcondren/water-phase-diagram.jpg

As it heats, the pressure increases and once it passes the critical point, there is no distinction between liquid and gas.

 

[Brilliant!]

Russ: Holy wow! That's neat.

 

[Zenparticle]

Do not attempt this experiment! - THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN EXPLOSIVE PROOF CONTAINER! Water, when heated in a closed container (ie, a boiler) will act according to its' phase diagram: http://www.cbu.edu/~mcondren/water-phase-diagram.jpg

As it heats, the pressure increases and once it passes the critical point, there is no distinction between liquid and gas.

Goodness no, I was in no way going to try this! No one in my family is that balls out, but thank you for the warning. I was thinking in theoretical terms, like how hot you could get water in a contained space before it just turns to something else or something along those lines...

 

[edward]

NEVER HEAT DISTILLED WATER IN A MICROWAVE

Tap water boils because it has impurities.

Distilled water does not visibly boil making it possible for it to become superheated.

If distilled water is allowed to become super heated and then some impurity such as sugar of coffee is added things get nasty.

 

[russ_watters]

Russ: Holy wow! That's neat.

Note that this situation exists in the planet Jupiter. At the top of the atmosphere, it is a gaseous planet. As you go further down, it behaves more like a liquid, but there is no specific transition.

 

[OmCheeto]

Another Mythbusters reason not to try this experiment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JmJoyuUJj2Q&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JmJoyuUJj2Q&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

 

[lisab]

Another Mythbusters reason not to try this experiment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JmJoyuUJj2Q&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JmJoyuUJj2Q&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

That's sooooo awesome! WOW!

 

[OmCheeto]

That's sooooo awesome! WOW!

Science can be deadly.

...

Btw, that's a clue.

 

[russ_watters]

And failure at only 330 psi, too - Navy boilers operate at 1200 psi!

 

[edward]

The hottest naturally occurring water on earth.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14456-found-the-hottest-water-on-earth.html

There are now a number of industrial processes that use supercritical water.