solidifies

Solidifies is the third-person singular present tense of the verb solidify. In general usage, to solidify means to change from a liquid or semi-solid state into a solid state, or to cause a substance to become solid. The term is used across science and everyday language to describe physical phase transitions, chemical reactions, or setting processes that yield a rigid, cohesive material.

Common mechanisms of solidification include cooling to below a melting point, leading to crystallization or freezing; precipitation of solutes from solution; evaporation of solvent that concentrates and binds particles; and chemical cross-linking or polymerization that creates a solid network. In gels, solidification can produce a solid-like, elastic structure without a fully crystalline lattice.

Applications span metallurgy and manufacturing (metal casting, soldering, and alloy hardening), polymer science (resin curing and adhesives), food science (cookies set, custards firming, jellies), geology (mineral solidification in rocks), and everyday phenomena such as ice formation and the setting of puddings.

Rate and outcome depend on temperature, pressure, concentration, impurities, and the presence of nucleation sites. Solidification is often exothermic, releasing latent heat; it can also be rate-limited by diffusion in the solidifying material. The term contrasts with liquefaction or dissolution, and it is related to crystallization, gelation, and precipitation in physical chemistry and materials science.

Etymology: from Latin solidus and the agentive suffix -fy.