crystalline

Like all MOFs, the material features a porous, crystalline array of metal ions and organic linkers, with an internal area equivalent to about six football fields per tablespoon -- a huge area for adsorbing gases.

But amid legal battles and calls to ban engineered stone, some companies have also begun offering newer products that are lower in crystalline silica.

Reyes Gonzalez is among scores of California countertop cutters who have sued companies like Caesarstone and Cambria after falling ill with silicosis, which is caused by inhaling tiny particles of crystalline silica.

"Only when you have this control it is probable to obtain a highly crystalline structure with an extensive order and, ultimately, the desired functionality," says Medina.

Mitsuko Uchida is one of the world’s foremost pianists, renowned for her crystalline touch and her interpretations of Mozart and Schubert.