Supercritical drying

Supercritical drying is a way to dry things really, really well. It's like when you dry your hands with a towel after washing them, but way more advanced!

Basically, when things are wet, water gets in between the tiny spaces in the material. But when you dry it, you want all the water to go away so there's no wetness left. Supercritical drying is a way to get rid of that last bit of wetness by using a special substance called a "supercritical fluid" that can take away the water without hurting the material.

Supercritical fluids are special because they can act like both a liquid and a gas at the same time. They are like a gas because they are made of tiny particles that float around, and they are like a liquid because they can fill up all the space in a container like a liquid can. So when you use a supercritical fluid to dry something, it can fill up all the tiny spaces in the material and push out all the water, just like a sponge soaks up water!

Once all the water is gone, the supercritical fluid goes away too, leaving behind a completely dry material. This is really helpful for lots of things, like drying important delicate objects such as scientific equipment or artwork, as it gets rid of all the moisture while keeping the item's shape and structure intact.

In summary, supercritical drying is like using a really cool gas/liquid hybrid to make things really dry and keep them safe!