Topic: Material Science
Hardness of martensite is about
- A. RC 65
- B. RC 48
- C. RC 57
- D. RC 80
Answer: A. RC 65
Explanation: Martensite is a very hard metastable structure with a body centered tetragonal (BCT) crystal structure. The highest hardness of a pearlitic steel is 400 Brinell whereas martensite can achieve 700 Brinell. In terms of Rockwell hardness it is about RC65.