What characterizes superheated steam?

Superheated steam is characterized by its temperature being higher than the boiling point of water at a given pressure, meaning that its temperature rises while the pressure remains constant. This process of superheating occurs when steam is heated beyond its saturation point, removing additional water vapor and increasing its temperature without an increase in pressure.

This property makes superheated steam particularly useful for various applications in engineering, such as in turbines, where it can drive the machinery more efficiently because it has a higher thermal energy content. By raising the temperature while maintaining pressure, superheated steam also has better thermal properties for doing work, making it advantageous in energy conversion processes.

Therefore, the significant feature of superheated steam is this ability to maintain constant pressure while its temperature increases, distinguishing it from saturated steam, which would not have this variability in temperature at a constant pressure.