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MORPHOLOGICAL

PHYSICAL

CHEMICAL

The properties of solid materials can largely be grouped as: (i) morphological, (ii) physical, and (iii) chemical. The physical and chemical properties are themselves highly connected to the morphological properties – the external form and internal structure of the material. The intelligent design of new materials thus depends on an understanding of the structure–composition–property relationships, as well as the synthesis and processes required to obtain desired forms.

The process of understanding materials starts with gaining some insight into their structure. The structure of materials can be viewed at multiple different levels, which are as follows:

 The subatomic level: Deals with the electronic structure of individual atoms and defines the interaction between them.

 The atomic level: Deals with the arrangement of atoms in the material and can lead to hugely different properties.

 The microscopic level: Deals with the arrangement of small sections or “grains” of material; it is the structure of a material at a magnification of 1–100 000 times, depending on the material, and thus generally discernible only with the use of optical and/or electron microscopy.

 The macroscopic level: Deals with structural elements that can be viewed with the naked eye.