austenite
nounUK /ˈɔːstənaɪt/
US /ˈɔːstənaɪt/
A special form of iron that is hot and can hold a lot of carbon inside it.
When steel is heated to a high temperature, its iron turns into austenite.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A solid solution of carbon in face-centered cubic iron, stable at high temperatures.
The metallurgist studied how austenite transforms into martensite during quenching.
3. The high-temperature phase of iron that is non-magnetic.
Austenite is non-magnetic, unlike the ferrite phase.
4. A constituent of certain stainless steels that gives them a stable structure at room temperature.
Austenitic stainless steel contains austenite stabilized by nickel.