Alkalization

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of modifying a substance to enhance its alkalinity by raising the pH level A procedure that involves increasing the basic properties of a solution through the addition of alkaline agents The process of changing a material to make it less acidic and more basic through specific treatments
2. The process whereby a substance's pH is increased to make it more alkaline
3. An action that transforms a material by raising its pH above neutral towards basicity

Etymology: Alkalization is a plain, technical formation: the word "alkali" plus the suffix "-ization," which turns a base into a noun meaning the process of making something into that kind of substance. The base itself has a more interesting trail. "Alkali" comes from Arabic "al-qily," a term for the ashes of saltwort plants, which were burned to produce a substance used in glassmaking and soap. The Arabic passed into Medieval Latin as "alcali" and then into French and English, where it kept the sense of a mineral or plant ash that dissolves in water to form a base. The suffix carries its own long journey. The Greek "-izein" came into Late Latin as "-izare," passed through Old French, and reached English in forms ending in "-ise" and "-ize." The "-ation" ending descends from Latin "-atio" and came through Old French. English joined the two into "-ization," which is how this noun was built from "alkali."

Synonyms: alkalinity, basicity

Antonyms: acidification