Boiling point - definition

The boiling point is the limit at which the vapour pressure of a saturated liquid becomes equal to the external atmospheric or other applied ambient pressure, resulting in a rapid phase transition from liquid to gas throughout the volume of the liquid, and not just at the surface. This process involves overcoming the forces of cohesion between the molecules of the liquid and providing the necessary amount of thermal energy to break the molecules apart and transform them into vapour.

The dependence of the boiling point on external pressure is non-linear and is described, among other things, by the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. A reduction in atmospheric pressure results in a reduction of the boiling point, which is used, among other things, in vacuum distillation techniques, while an increase in pressure, e.g. in autoclaves, raises this temperature, allowing boiling above the standard 100°C value for water under normal conditions.

In the context of materials engineering and thermodynamics, the boiling point is an important parameter for characterising substances, especially in technological processes such as evaporation, condensation, thermal separation and the design of cooling and heat transfer systems, where the thermal stability of the working fluid plays a key role.

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