noun
reforming; modification; upgrading
Technical term used in chemistry and materials science for altering the properties or structure of a substance, often to improve quality or performance.
触媒を使ってナフサを改質し、高オクタン価ガソリンを製造する。
Naphtha is reformed using a catalyst to produce high-octane gasoline.
このプロセスは、ポリマーの表面改質に用いられる。
This process is used for surface modification of polymers.
Compound of 改 (kai, 'reform, change') and 質 (shitsu, 'quality, substance'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is used in modern technical fields to mean reforming or modifying the quality of a material.