Learn English – Word for something made of two parts

single-word-requests

I'm searching for a word that has the meaning of something that is made of two different parts. I've looked around on thesaurus and this site for a bit and I can't find anything. Here is the sentence I'm trying to use it in:

This communication has covered the basics of percolation theory and shown that a 3-dimensional cluster labeling programme is able to describe the complex three dimensional network between the different sites in the [Insert Word Here] blend.

And here is an image showing what such a blend looks like.

enter image description here

The issue is that it's not just an amalgam I'm trying to describe, but a material with two separate interpenetrating species.

What word should I use to describe this?

Best Answer

The most appropriate term I can think of is composite, used either as a noun or adjective. NOAD provides some excellent accompanying examples:

composite

(adjective) made up of several parts or elements:

  • (esp. of a constructional material) made up of recognizable constituents:

    a new composite material—a blend of plastic and ceramic resins.

(noun) a thing made up of several parts or elements:

  • a composite constructional material:

    the next decade may well see the introduction of more designer polymers and composites

Since composite refers to several elements, not just two, you could use it in your example this way:

... between the two different sites in the composite blend

using the word two to specify how many elements there are.

The answer provided by Kris, however, is more technically appropriate for the specific example you mention. However, combining this with your suggestion, binary composite is certainly an excellent alternative. Binary mixture is also technically correct, as all composites, amalgams, blends, etc, are simply mixtures.

Related Topic