solidlike

Solidlike is an informal term used across physics, materials science, and rheology to describe a material, phase, or response that behaves predominantly like a solid. It is not a formal phase category; rather, it denotes elasticity and resistance to flow under the stresses and timescales considered. Materials described as solidlike typically store energy when deformed and exhibit a finite yield strength, resisting shape change until a threshold is exceeded.

In rheology, solidlike behavior is often indicated by a storage modulus (G’) that exceeds the loss modulus (G’’) over the relevant frequency range, signaling that elastic responses dominate dissipation. However, many materials are viscoelastic and can appear solidlike at short times or low stresses while flowing or creeping at longer times or higher stresses. Temperature, aging, and环境 conditions can also shift a material between more solidlike and more fluidlike states.

Examples commonly discussed as solidlike include crystalline and amorphous solids, gels with a connected network, colloidal glasses, and granular materials near the jamming transition. Some polymers are solidlike below their glass transition temperature, while others may exhibit solidlike characteristics in certain physical settings despite being part of a broader liquid phase.

As a descriptor, solidlike helps communicate behavior without committing to a strict phase designation. It highlights elasticity, resistance to deformation, and rate- or time-dependent properties that distinguish certain materials from truly fluidlike ones.