Tætmættede

Tætmættede is a Danish adjective meaning fully saturated or densely filled. It describes a state in which saturation has been reached, leaving no capacity for additional substance under given conditions. The term is predominantly found in technical and scientific writing rather than everyday speech.

In chemistry and physical sciences, tætmættede describes systems that have reached complete saturation. For example, a tætmættet opløsning refers to a solution that cannot dissolve more solute at a specific temperature and pressure. In materials science, the term may be used for pore spaces, adsorption sites, or gas uptake that are all occupied by the substance of interest. The concept is closely related to, but stronger than, the ordinary saturated.

Relationship to diet terms: In Danish nutrition, mættede fedtsyrer is the common term for saturated fatty acids; tætmættede is less common and is usually reserved for emphasis in technical contexts or as a stylistic variant.

Etymology and usage notes: The word combines the notions of density or tightness (tæt) and saturation (mættet) to convey a state of full capacity. It is primarily used in specialized contexts and may appear more frequently in written form than in speech. In everyday language, colleagues often prefer the simpler term mættet when referring to saturation, unless the intended nuance is “completely” or “fully” saturated. Related terms include umættet (unsaturated) and general discussions of saturation in chemistry and physics.