Engineering English
Martensite
Materials Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: Martensite is a hard, brittle phase formed in steel when it is rapidly cooled from the austenitic region. It has a body-centered tetragonal crystal structure and is primarily responsible for the high hardness of quenched steels.
Example in context
“After quenching the gear in oil, the microstructure consisted mainly of martensite, giving it high wear resistance.”
“Dişliyi yağda su verildikten sonra mikro yapı çoğunlukla martensitten oluştu ve yüksek aşınma direnci sağladı.”
Where engineers use it
Martensite appears in the microstructural analysis of quenched steels. Engineers use it to evaluate hardness and brittleness, and to adjust tempering cycles for optimized mechanical properties.
Practice: can you use “Martensite” at work?
A quality engineer observes microcracks in a hardened die. Explain how the volume change during martensite formation could contribute to cracking.
Show a model answer
“The formation of martensite is essential for achieving high hardness in quenched steels.”
“Martensite” in 21 languages
| English | Martensite |
|---|---|
| Turkish | martensit |
| French | martensite |
| German | Martensit |
| Spanish | martensita |
| Chinese | 马氏体 |
| Arabic | مارتنزيت |
| Portuguese | martensita |
| Russian | мартенсит |
| Japanese | マルテンサイト |
| Italian | martensite |
| Vietnamese | mactenxit |
| Hindi | मार्टेन्साइट |
| Thai | มาร์เทนไซต์ |
| Indonesian | martensit |
| Korean | 마르텐사이트 |
| Bengali | মার্টেনসাইট |
| Dutch | martensiet |
| Swedish | martensit |
| Finnish | martensiitti |
| Ukrainian | мартенсит |
Frequently asked questions
What does Martensite mean in engineering?
Martensite is a hard, brittle phase formed in steel when it is rapidly cooled from the austenitic region. It has a body-centered tetragonal crystal structure and is primarily responsible for the high hardness of quenched steels. In Materials Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Martensite?
Martensite is pronounced /ˈmɑːrtənzaɪt/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Martensite used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “After quenching the gear in oil, the microstructure consisted mainly of martensite, giving it high wear resistance.”
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