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This doesn't relate to sublimation but we have learned something we thought important enough to pass along. Water boiled by itself in a microwave can "explode" when you take it out.

It is caused by a phenomenon known as super heating. It can occur anytime that water is rapidly heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that the water is heated in is new, or when heating a small amount of water (less than half a cup).

What happens is that the water heats faster than vapor bubbles can form. If the vessel is new then it is unlikely to have small surface scratches inside it that provide a place for the bubbles to form. As the bubbles cannot form and release some of the heat that has built up, the liquid does not boil, and the liquid continues to heat up, well past its boiling point. When that happens, if the liquid is bumped or jarred, it can cause just enough of a shock to cause the bubbles to rapidly form and expel the scalding hot liquid. The rapid formation of bubbles is also why a carbonated beverage spews when opened after having been shaken.

The General Electric Net Response Team verified this information. Forewarned is forearmed.

For Our ColourMagic! Sublimators

Our new booklet "The Magic of Colour" - Understanding and Reproducing Color, is now complete. ColourMagic! customers will be mailed a free copy this month. The booklet is not for sale.

The HP 4550 Color Laser Printer

For those searching for good prices, we have found an excellent web resource for the 4550 printer that will save you many hundreds of dollars. It is at http://www.ibuyer.net This is a list of 20 or so sellers of the printer and compares prices and provides links to their site.

We have also updated information about the printer and added our thoughts and experiences on our colourmagic.info web site. To read that, go to http://colourmagic.info/cm_subcart.html

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