- Vitreous
Vitreous refers to a material in an
amorphous ,glass y state (in contrast to acrystalline state). In such a state, the constituentatom s do not exhibit thelong-range order that is characteristic ofcrystal s. However, they still exhibit short-range order -- the separation of atoms and/or the lengths ofcovalent bond s are very close to their typical equilibrium distances. The creation of a vitreous material bysupercooling or by addition of additives prior to cooling is calledvitrification .Under certain conditions, vitreous materials may begin to rearrange themselves into
crystal s. This process is referred to as devitrification. Naturalvolcanic glass,obsidian , will de-vitrify or crystallize over extended periods ofgeologic time . Devitrification can also occur in glass items that are regularly washed indishwasher s due to the chemicals involved in their detergents. [ [http://www.newi.ac.uk/buckleyc/materials.htm#Glass Ancient glass] (has a section mentioning devitrification)]Other uses
*When applied to whiteware
ceramic s, vitreous means the material has an extremely low permeability to liquids, often but not always water, when determined by a specified test regime. The microstructure of whitewareceramic s frequently contain bothamorphous and crystalline phases.
*A vitreous luster inmineralogy refers to a glassy luster or sheen of a mineral surface. The mineralsquartz andfluorite exhibit a vitreous luster.
*Thevitreous humour (British spelling) or vitreous humor (U.S. spelling) is the clear gel that fills the space between the lens and the retina of the eyeball of humans and other vertebrates.ee also
*
Amorphous
*Glass
*Vitrification References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.