Martensite

Description

A hard, needle-like crystalline form of Carbon steel made by fast cooling. Martensite, named for a German chemist in 1895, is the chief constituent of hardened steel. It is also formed as a decomposition product of austenite. Martensite has been found in ancient materials (Scott, 1991).

Synonyms and Related Terms

martensite (Fr.); Martensit (Deut.); martensiet (Ned.); martensite (Port.)

Resources and Citations

• D.Scott, Metallography and Microstructure of Ancient and Historic Metals. Getty Conservation Institute, 1991.