MatSci-SAMhttps://w3id.org/matsci-sam/vocabulary/mrc/martensite/definitions/2A metastable, body-centered tetragonal (BCT) phase formed via a diffusionless, displacive shear transformation of austenite during rapid cooling; while most commonly associated with steels, martensitic transformations also occur in various other alloy systems.
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Accepted AI-assisted revision
Christopher RauchJul 20, 2026
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The BCT distortion comes from carbon trapped in octahedral interstitial sites. A future revision could distinguish lath and plate morphologies.
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Quenching a high-carbon steel blade in water triggers a diffusionless transformation from austenite to martensite, creating the high hardness required for an edge despite the resulting increase in brittleness.
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