hygroscopicity

Definition

The tendency of a substance to absorb moisture from the surrounding atmosphere, which can make it sticky or difficult to process in manufacturing.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek 'hygros' (moist or wet) and 'skopein' (to look at or examine), combined with the suffix -ity. It entered English in the 19th century to describe the physical property of attracting water vapor.

In the news

The article mentions this property because it makes choline difficult to use in tablets; developers had to use particle science to overcome these sticky, moisture-absorbing traits.

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