9. Glossary

Microstructure; microstructure

Describes the appearance of a material (shape, grain size) on a scale ranging from the nanometer to the micrometer, and is mainly characterized by microscopy techniques.

Crystal structure; crystal structure

Describes the appearance of matter at the atomic scale, characterized mainly by diffraction techniques.

Texture: texture

Represents the distribution of crystallographic orientations within the ceramic material.

Refractoriness (or pyroscopic resistance)

Refers to a material's ability to withstand high temperatures.