Recondenses

Recondenses, or recondense, is the action of condensing a vapor again after an initial condensation event. In physics and engineering, recondensation refers to the repeated phase change from gas to liquid (or to solid in some cases) that occurs when a vapor is subjected to successive cooling or pressure changes within a system. The concept is central to closed-cycle processes such as refrigeration, steam systems, and cryogenic gas handling, where condensate is formed, removed, and, if the cycle continues through heating and cooling steps, formed again.

In atmospheric and environmental contexts, recondensation can describe droplets that form again on condensation nuclei after partial evaporation, influencing cloud formation, droplet growth, and humidity dynamics. In chemical processing, recondensation can be used to recover a volatile component by cooling a vapor stream back to a liquid.

Key factors governing recondensation include temperature, pressure, the vapor’s saturation pressure, and the presence of nucleation sites. Impurities and surface properties can affect the rate and efficiency of recondensation, as can system design, such as heat exchangers and separators.

See also condensation, evaporation, phase change, and distillation. The term is often used descriptively in technical literature rather than as a standalone, specialized process with a single universal definition.