Microcrystalline

Microcrystalline is a term used in material science to refer to materials that are composed of crystals that are significantly smaller than the wavelength of visible light. These materials have unique optical, electrical, and mechanical properties that make them useful in a variety of applications.

Overview

Microcrystalline materials are typically produced by rapidly cooling a liquid or a gas. This rapid cooling prevents the atoms in the material from arranging themselves into a large, regular crystal lattice, resulting in the formation of many small crystals instead. The size of these crystals can range from a few nanometers to several micrometers.

Properties

The properties of microcrystalline materials are largely determined by the size and arrangement of their crystals. For example, materials with smaller crystals tend to be harder and more brittle than materials with larger crystals. They also tend to have higher electrical resistivity and lower thermal conductivity.

Applications

Microcrystalline materials are used in a wide range of applications. For example, they are used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, where their small crystal size allows for the creation of devices with very small feature sizes. They are also used in the production of optical fiber, where their unique optical properties allow for the transmission of light over long distances with minimal loss.

See also

• Crystallite
• Amorphous solid
• Polycrystalline

References

Microcrystalline Resources
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