martensite

American  

[mahr-tn-zahyt] / ˈmɑr tnˌzaɪt /

noun

Metallurgy.

1. a metastable microconstituent of any of various forms of carbon steel, produced by undercooling sufficiently below the normal transformation temperature, especially a hard, brittle product of the decomposition of austenite, produced in this way.

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martensite British  

/ ˌmɑːtɪnˈzɪtɪk, ˈmɑːtɪnˌzaɪt /

noun

1. a constituent formed in steels by rapid quenching, consisting of a supersaturated solid solution of carbon in iron. It is formed by the breakdown of austenite when the rate of cooling is large enough to prevent pearlite forming

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Other Word Forms

• martensitic adjective

Etymology

Origin of martensite

1895–1900; named after Adolf Martens (died 1914), German metallurgist; -ite ¹

Example Sentences

The transformation means that martensite can be used in smart mechanisms that respond to temperature change.

From BBC

Austenite is not nearly as hard as martensite, owing to its content of the soft gamma iron.

From Project Gutenberg

He is then able to pick out its component minerals, ferrite, austenite, martensite, pearlite, graphite, cementite, and to show how their abundance, shape and arrangement contribute to the strength or weakness of the specimen.

From Project Gutenberg

When heated to 670 degrees, it becomes homogeneous, an amount of carbon up to two per cent. dissolves in the iron, and hard steel or martensite is formed.

From Project Gutenberg

Called a "martensite", the crystal has two different arrangements of atoms, switching seamlessly between them.

From BBC