The crystalline solids are those in which the location of the molecules responds to a certain order that is repeated throughout the structure. Some crystalline solids are quartz, diamond and salt.
The solid state is one in which the molecules of the material are in considerable proximity to one another. The way in which they are accommodated gives rise to different types of structures.
Types of crystalline structures
The way in which crystalline structures are arranged is given by the Bravais networks: P, C, I and F.
There are also crystalline systems, which can be:
- Triclinics
- Monoclinics
- Orthorhombic
- Tetragonal
- Rhombohedral
- Hexagonal
- Cubic
The 10 main examples of crystalline solids
1- Table salt
Sodium chloride is the most representative example of a crystalline solid and has a FCC crystal structure with a cubic system.
In addition to being used in the kitchen, it has several applications in industrial processes.
2- Alumina
Its chemical formula is Al2O3 and forms an octahedral structure.
The industrial applications of this compound are mainly as thermal and electrical insulator. It is also used as part of coatings that prevent oxidation.
3- Barium chloride
Barium chloride (BaCl2) is a whitish crystal with an orthogonal structure.
In the industry it is used mainly as a reagent in purity tests and for the manufacture of salts.
4- Diamond
Diamond is the most famous carbon allotrope for its beauty and value. It has a cubic crystalline system and is the hardest material known.
Diamonds are used both in jewelry and in industry. In the latter they are mainly used as cutting tools due to their extraordinary hardness properties.
5- Quartz
Silicon dioxide (SO2) can be present as quartz. It is a trapezohedral trigonal white crystalline structure.
It is a very abundant mineral. Like diamond, it is used in the industry as well as in the creation of electronic devices and jewelry.
6- Calcium oxalate
Calcium oxalate is produced in some poisonous plants.
They usually occur irregularly and are also present in some processes for the creation of beer.
7- Acetylsalicylic acid
Generally known as aspirin, it is a crystalline solid that is synthesized as a medication to treat pain and inflammation.
It was discovered in 1853 and is still used today.
8- Sugar
Sucrose, as a polymer of glucose and fructose, is a white crystal with a sweet taste that is used as a sweetener in world cuisine.
It has a complex structure and a good amount of calories per gram, so it is used as a nutrient to obtain energy.
9- Calcium nitrate
It is a component of some fertilizers that provide nitrogen and calcium to the soil for the plants to absorb.
It has a structure that allows it to be highly soluble in water.
10- Ice
Ice is the solid form of water. Due to its polar covalent bonds it has a lower density than water in liquid state and its crystalline structure is arranged in the form of hexagons.
Ice is very used every day and the properties it has compared to other solids makes it an element of great importance for life.
References
- Ramírez Regalado, V. M. (2014). General chemistry . Mexico D.F: Larousse - Grupo Editorial Patria.
- De Rosa, C., & Auriemma, F. (2014; 2013;). Crystals and crystallinity in polymers: Diffraction analysis of ordered and disordered crystals (1st ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley.
- Bravais lattice (2016). Encyclopædia Britannica Inc.
- Betermin, L. (2016). two-dimensional theta functions and crystallization among bravais lattices. Siam Journal on Mathematical Analysis, 48 (5), 3236-3269. doi: 10.1137 / 15M101614X
- Zhang, Z., Keys, A.S., Chen, T., & Glotzer, S.C. (2005). Self-assembly of patchy particles into diamond structures through molecular mimicry. Langmuir, twenty-one (25), 11547-11551. doi: 10.1021 / la0513611
- Carrasco, J., Michaelides, A., Forster, M., Raval, R., Haq, S., & Hodgson, A. (2009). A one-dimensional ice structure built from pentagons. Nature Materials, 8 (5), 427-431. doi: 10.1038 / nmat2403