2. Effect of temperature on inert matter

Analysis of current and potential applications of refrigeration at any temperature level in industrial processes presupposes a description of the influence of temperature on the physical properties of matter, whether inert (liquid, solid or vapor) in the form of a pure body or a mixture, or living, as in the case of certain food products.

Whether these transformations are physical (e.g. condensation, solidification, adsorption, crystallization...) or biological (fermentation, development of micro-organisms...), the importance of the temperature parameter is obvious, and explains the decisive role played by refrigeration in a large number of what are generally referred to as industrial processes.