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
Derived forms
martensitic (ˌmɑːtɪnˈzɪtɪk)
adjective
martensitically (ˌmartenˈsitically)
adverb
Word origin
C20: named after Adolf Martens (died 1914), German metallurgist
martensite in American English
(ˈmɑrtənˌzaɪt)
noun
a very hard, brittle, solid solution of iron and carbon or the carbide of iron, Fe3C, into which hot steel turns when suddenly chilled by cold water