industrial liquefier

noun

1. A large machine used in manufacturing that turns a solid into a liquid, usually by heating or crushing it — for example melting plastic, metal or chocolate so it can be poured, mixed or shaped.

   B2

   countable

   • "The factory uses an industrial liquefier to melt the plastic before it is shaped."B1
   • "An industrial liquefier is much larger and more powerful than a kitchen blender."B2
   • "Operators must wear heat-resistant gloves whenever the industrial liquefier is opened for cleaning."C1

2. A piece of equipment or facility that changes a gas into a liquid, usually by cooling it or applying pressure, so it can be stored or transported in tanks, as with natural gas or nitrogen.

   C1

   countabletechnical

   • "The plant's industrial liquefier cools the gas until it becomes a liquid."B2
   • "The company installed an industrial liquefier to process natural gas."B1
   • "The industrial liquefier uses carefully controlled cooling to produce liquid oxygen."C1
   • "Engineers shut down the industrial liquefier for maintenance, which briefly reduced output at the terminal."C1