endapkan

Endapkan is an Indonesian verb that means to cause a substance to separate from a liquid as a solid, i.e., to precipitate, or to settle out as sediment. The related noun endapan refers to the solid that forms or the material that settles. The term is used in science and engineering as well as in everyday language, with context guiding whether it refers to chemical precipitation or physical sedimentation.

In chemistry and environmental engineering, endapkan describes a precipitation reaction where dissolved ions form an insoluble compound that emerges as a solid. This process is used to remove contaminants or to recover materials. Examples include the precipitation of salts from solution and the formation of metal hydroxides such as iron or aluminum hydroxide. In water treatment, reagents like lime or sulfates may be added to induce precipitation of phosphates, heavy metals, or carbonates, which can then be removed as sludge or filtered out.

In geology and sedimentology, endapan refers to material that settles from suspension in water or air, eventually forming sediment layers. These deposits can be compacted and cemented over time to become sedimentary rocks. Deposition is influenced by gravity, flow velocity, particle size, and turbulence, as well as chemical conditions that affect the stability of minerals.

Factors affecting endapan include supersaturation, pH, temperature, ionic strength, and the presence of complexing agents, which influence nucleation and crystal growth or particle settling rates. The term captures the transition from dissolved or suspended states to solid-phase or settled materials.

Etymology: the root endap- meaning to settle, with the causative suffix -kan to form endapkan.