Syneresis (chemistry)

Syneresis refers to the physical or chemical phase separation of a two-phase system, such as a dispersion or a gel. The deposition of the continuous phase may be caused firstly by a contraction of the solid phase, and by a sedimentation of the solid phase.

Syneresis, for example, an important process in the manufacture of cheese: by aggregation and contraction of milk proteins takes the whey during the curd edit. For other foods such as yogurt or mustard syneresis is a product defect, which manifests itself in the separation of serum.

Swell

• Physical chemistry