martensite
/ˈmɑːrtənzaɪt/
noun
- A very hard, brittle form of steel that forms when steel is heated to a high temperature and then cooled very quickly (quenched).
- Engineers studied the structure of martensite under a microscope to understand why the steel part failed.
- Martensite gives many tools their hardness, but it also makes them more likely to crack if dropped.
- The blacksmith quenched the red-hot blade in oil to create martensite, making the sword extremely hard.