sublimers

Sublimers is a term with no single, universally accepted meaning. In general, it can refer to either devices that induce sublimation, or to materials that readily sublimate. Because the standard terms in science favor sublimator, sublimation, and sublimate, the plural "sublimers" is uncommon and its meaning is highly context-dependent.

In science and engineering, a device that promotes sublimation is typically called a sublimator or sublimation apparatus. Substances that undergo sublimation are more commonly called sublimates, and the process is sublimation. When encountered, "sublimers" may loosely describe a set of sublimation devices or a class of rapidly sublimating materials, such as dry ice (solid carbon dioxide), iodine, or naphthalene, but this usage is rare and not standard.

In industrial applications such as dye-sublimation printing, sublimation refers to turning solid dyes into gas and depositing them on a substrate. Equipment used for this transfer is usually called a sublimation printer or heat-transfer system. Some practitioners may informally use "sublimer" to refer either to the dye or to the equipment, but this is not widely accepted terminology.

See also: Sublimation; Sublimate; Sublimator.