Answer:
In the crystal structures of transition
metals, small vacant sites known as interstitial sites are present. These are occupied
by atoms of smaller elements such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, boron etc.
This leads to the formation of compounds known as interstitial compounds. The
properties of these metals are somewhat different than the pure metals. For
example, compound consisting of iron and carbon is harder than iron. Generally
these compounds are less malleable and ductile but at the same time have
greater tensile strength than pure metals. For more details, consult Section
8.4.
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