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Thermoreversible

What is Thermoreversible?

Taken from the Greek word thermos meaning heat and the Latin word reverses meaning to turn back, thermoreversible is a property of certain substances to be reversed when exposed to heat. Such substances form a gel when cooled and return to a viscous fluid state when exposed to heat.

Since thermoreversible substances do not undergo a permanent change, the transition of converting to a gel and reverting back to a fluid can be performed repeatedly when provided with the right temperatures. Certain gelling agents such as agar-agar and Carageenan form thermoreversible gels that are often used in molecular gastronomy.

This characteristic is most common in polymer gels whose molecules can increase or reduce in size depending on changes in the environment it is in. Thermoreversible substances are formed with solvents that react poorly to heat exposure.