in physical metallurgy, a structural component of steels and cast irons. It is a dispersed variety of pearlite, which is a eutectic mixture of ferrite and cementite.

Sorbite was named in honor of the English scientist H. C. Sorby (1826–1908). It is formed as a result of the decomposition of austenite at a temperature of approximately 650°C. The distance between the lamellae in sorbite is 0.2 micrometer, whereas in pearlite it is 0.5–1.0 micrometer. The hardness, strength, and impact strength of sorbite are greater than those of pearlite. The ferrite-carbide mixture formed as a result of hardening and high-temperature tempering is sometimes called tempered sorbite.