INTERGRANULAR Meaning and
Definition
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Intergranular is an adjective used to describe a phenomenon or characteristic that occurs between or within the grains of a material, particularly in materials with a crystalline structure. This term is commonly used in various scientific fields, including metallurgy, geology, and material science.
In the context of metallurgy, intergranular refers to the behavior, properties, or processes that occur at the grain boundaries of a metal or alloy. These grain boundaries are regions where the orientation or structure of adjacent grains differs. Intergranular phenomena can include various types of defects, such as cracks, voids, or precipitates, which form along these boundaries due to different factors like mechanical stress, thermal changes, or impurities present in the material.
In geology, intergranular refers to the processes or features that occur between individual mineral grains within a rock. This could involve the migration of fluids through the pore spaces between grains, the deposition of minerals in these spaces, or the development of new minerals along the grain boundaries.
In material science, intergranular generally refers to any property or behavior related to the interfaces between grains in a material, regardless of the specific material type. This could include phenomena such as grain boundary sliding, corrosion along grain boundaries, or the diffusion of atoms between adjacent grains.
In summary, "intergranular" denotes something that occurs, exists, or is related to the boundaries or interfaces that separate individual grains within a material, whether it be a metal, rock, or any other crystalline substance.
Etymology of INTERGRANULAR
The word "intergranular" is derived from two separate components: "inter" and "granular".
- "Inter" comes from the Latin prefix "inter", meaning "between" or "among".
- "Granular" comes from the Latin word "granulum", meaning "grain" or "small particle".
Therefore, "intergranular" combines these two elements to describe something that occurs or exists between or among grains or small particles.
