embrittlement

/ɛmˈbrɪtəlmənt/
noun
  1. The process or result of becoming brittle, hard, and easily broken.
    • Engineers test materials for embrittlement before using them in bridges.
    • The embrittlement of the rubber seals made them crack in the cold weather.
    • Hydrogen embrittlement can cause metal pipes to fail without warning.
Antonyms
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