solidified

Solidified is the past participle of solidify, referring to a substance that has changed from a more fluid or semi-fluid state into a solid. Solidification is the process by which a liquid, solution, or gel becomes a solid, and it can occur through physical phase changes such as freezing or crystallization, or through chemical reactions like cross-linking that create a solid network. In many contexts, solidified materials are crystalline if they form an orderly lattice, or amorphous if they solidify into a disordered structure, as in glass.

The most common mechanism is cooling of a liquid below its melting point, releasing latent heat and allowing crystal nuclei to form and grow. In metallic casting, this produces a solid metal with a grain structure that depends on cooling rate and alloy composition. In polymers, solidification can involve crystallization or gelation through cross-linking, yielding varying rigidity and transparency. Solutions can also solidify by precipitation, yielding solid particles from supersaturated solutions.

Examples include water solidifying into ice, molten metal becoming a solid metal, and fats or oils hardening at lower temperatures. In some rapid cooling or high-pressure processes, vitrification may occur, producing a glassy solid without crystalline order.

Solidified materials exhibit properties dictated by their microstructure, such as hardness, brittleness, and density, and these properties are influenced by processing conditions, impurities, and additives. The term is commonly used across materials science, geology, food science, and engineering.