vitrification
/ˌvɪtrəfɪˈkeɪʃən/
noun
- The process of turning something into glass or a glass-like solid by heating and then cooling it rapidly.
- Ancient potters discovered vitrification by accident when their clay vessels were fired at very high temperatures.
- Vitrification is used to preserve biological samples by cooling them so quickly that ice crystals do not form.
- The vitrification of nuclear waste involves melting it with glass-forming materials to trap dangerous elements.
Synonyms