pearlite

American  

[pur-lahyt] / ˈpɜr laɪt /

noun

1. Metallurgy. a microscopic lamellar structure found in iron or steel, composed of alternating layers of ferrite and cementite.

2. Petrography. perlite.

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pearlite British  

/ ˈpɜːlaɪt, pɜːˈlɪtɪk /

noun

1. the lamellar structure in carbon steels and some cast irons that consists of alternate plates of pure iron and iron carbide

2. a variant spelling of perlite

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Other Word Forms

• pearlitic adjective

Etymology

Origin of pearlite

First recorded in 1885–90; pearl + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

If the brand of available potting soil doesn’t contain pearlite, she lightens it with some so that pearlite is as much as one-quarter of the blend.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 9, 2023

The cementite, although adding to the tensile strength, is very brittle and the strength of the pearlite is the combination of the ferrite and cementite.

From The Working of Steel Annealing, Heat Treating and Hardening of Carbon and Alloy Steel by Colvin, Fred H. (Fred Herbert)

This structure of thin sheets has received the name "pearlite," because of its pearly appearance under sunlight.

From The Working of Steel Annealing, Heat Treating and Hardening of Carbon and Alloy Steel by Colvin, Fred H. (Fred Herbert)

A final steel will be composed of pearlite; ferrite and pearlite; or cementite and pearlite, according to the carbon content.

From The Working of Steel Annealing, Heat Treating and Hardening of Carbon and Alloy Steel by Colvin, Fred H. (Fred Herbert)

Subsequent cooling gives a coarse texture, or an arrangement of ferrite, cementite and pearlite grains which is greatly coarsened, reflecting the condition of the austenite crystals from which they were born.

From The Working of Steel Annealing, Heat Treating and Hardening of Carbon and Alloy Steel by Colvin, Fred H. (Fred Herbert)