[Encyclios]

Solid Solutions

A solid solution is essentially a crystalline phase that can have varying composition. As in the case of doped materials, simple solid solutions can be of two types: substitutional or interstitial. From these two basic types, much more complex types of solid solutions can be derived, which are simultaneously substitutional and interstitial, or which contain ions of different charge than the originals, and so on. Many solid solutions have considerable technological interest.