Vitrifiés

Vitrifiés is the French adjective or past participle form of vitrifier, used to describe substances that have been transformed into glass or a glassy state. The root comes from Latin vitreus, meaning glass.

In materials science and ceramics, vitrification refers to the formation of a glassy matrix during firing. Materials described as vitrifiés may be fully vitrified ceramics, glass-ceramics, or glassy coatings. Vitrification reduces porosity and increases chemical durability, but can also impart brittleness and make the material sensitive to thermal shock.

In archaeology, the term is associated with vitrified forts, where stone walls appear to have melted or fused at the surface after exposure to high heat. Whether vitrification was achieved intentionally by ancient builders as a defensive measure or occurred accidentally remains debated. Regions with such finds include parts of Scotland and Ireland.

In waste management and environmental engineering, vitrification is a controlled process that immobilizes hazardous materials by incorporating them into glass and melting to form a durable, leach-resistant glass matrix. This approach is used for various radioactive and toxic wastes.

In geology and natural history, vitrification can describe naturally produced glass, such as obsidian, and other high-temperature transformations of soils or rocks that produce glassy layers.