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Allotropy

The property of pure chemical elements to exist in different crystal structures depending on temperature or pressure. In iron, this behavior enables targeted hardening and heat treatment.

In iron, we talk about allotropy – the stuff can take different crystal lattices depending on temperature. One is soft and easily formable, the other is hard and can be hardened. When welding, you have to be careful not to unintentionally run into a hard, brittle structure due to heat input – that causes cracks.

MetallurgieSchweißtechnik

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