What is Sublimation

1. Sublimation The transitions of a substance from the solid phase directly to the vapour phase, or vice versa, without passing through an intermediate liquid phase. 2. Sublimation is the process of a solid changing form a gas to a solid without going to the liquid state and vice versa. An example of sublimation is the ice cubes in freezer over a period of time they will begin to sublimate due to the temperature. This also happens …

…of solids sublime, carbon dioxide, CO2 and iodine, I2, being examples. Ammonium chloride, NH4Cl, sublimes on heating, but the vapour is a mixture of ammonia, NH3, and hydrogen chloride, HCl; on cooling, solid ammonium chloride is reformed. Some solids, which do melt to form a liquid, still evaporate quite rapidly if kept below their melting points; iodine and sulphur are examples. This is also sublimation, and can be used as a method of purification.