Physical properties

• Density and specific gravity

The density of substance in which weight per unit gradient, Specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of the volume of the substance to the weight of the same volume of water at specific temperature. This may be determined by weighing known volume by the use of specific gravity bottle.

• Hygroscopicity

  The hygroscopicity of a material is its ability to remove moisture from the air. It may be expressed as the relative humidity of air which is in equilibrium with the substance. This property is important because increase in moisture of honey depends to a grate extant upon sugar concentration it varies some extent among different honeys moisture content of honey varies the relative humidity of air of which it is expose. When exposed to air of relative humidity less than the equilibrium value honey losses the moisture at the surface but much slowly below the surface. The moisture content of honey may be reduced by the exposure to air of relative humidity less than the equilibrium value. This may attained by raising the temperature of air or by mechanical dehumidification.

•  Granulation

  A supper saturated solution is one that contains most dissolved materials than can normally in solution. These solutions are over unstable and in time will returns to the stable saturated condition by crystallizing the excess solute. Many honey are super saturated solution with respect to there glucose content and normally equilibrate with crystallization of the excess from the solution the solid material is the monohydrate of glucose the tendency and extent of crystallization or granulation is related to sugar composition of the honey its moisture content and temperature.