Austenite (Noun)
Meaning
A solid solution of ferric carbide or carbon in iron; cools to form pearlite or martensite.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- Austenite is a face-centered cubic structure that is stable above the eutectoid temperature in the iron-carbon system.
- The steel alloy was heated to form austenite, which was then quenched to produce a hard martensitic microstructure.
- Austenite is a metastable phase that can transform into pearlite or martensite upon cooling, depending on the cooling rate.
- The formation of austenite is a critical step in the heat treatment of steel, as it allows for the subsequent formation of desired microstructures.
- In the iron-carbon phase diagram, austenite is the high-temperature phase that exists above the eutectoid temperature of 727°C.