What does embrittlement mean?
Embrittlement is a technical term describing the process by which a material—most often a metal or alloy—loses its ability to bend or stretch without breaking, becoming brittle instead. A brittle substance fractures suddenly under stress rather than deforming gradually. In metallurgy, embrittlement is a serious concern because it can cause catastrophic failures: hydrogen atoms absorbed into steel during manufacturing or corrosion can weaken it dramatically, a phenomenon known as hydrogen embrittlement. Other forms include temper embrittlement, where certain alloys become fragile after specific heat treatments, and caustic embrittlement in boilers. The word also applies more broadly to non-metals, as when plastics grow stiff and crack-prone after long exposure to sunlight or cold. Because embrittlement is invisible until failure occurs, engineers design around it through careful material selection, processing, and testing. The term belongs chiefly to scientific and industrial writing, but its meaning is transparent enough to be understood by general readers encountering it in journalism about infrastructure failures.
nounThe process or condition by which a material, especially a metal, loses its ductility and becomes brittle and liable to fracture without significant deformation.
- Loss of ductility in a material (especially metal), making it prone to sudden fracture.
- By extension, any process of making something brittle.
"Hydrogen embrittlement caused the steel bolts to snap under far less stress than they were rated for."
"Engineers must guard against hydrogen embrittlement when heat-treating high-strength fasteners."
"Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light leads to embrittlement of many plastics, leaving them prone to cracking."
Rarely used; appears mostly in technical writing to denote multiple types or occurrences of embrittlement.
"The report catalogued several embrittlements observed in the alloy samples."
A tiny amount of hydrogen — atoms so small they slip between iron atoms — can make a massive steel bridge component shatter like glass.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of embrittlement
Embrittlement is formed from the adjective "brittle" plus the suffixes -en and -ment, following the pattern of verbs like "embitter." "Brittle" itself derives from Middle English "brutle" or "bretel," likely from Old English forms related to "breotan" (to break), cognate with words in other Germanic languages concerning breaking. The term emerged in English alongside the growth of metallurgy and industrial engineering in the 19th century.
How embrittlement is actually used
Primarily a technical term used in materials science, metallurgy, and engineering; it rarely appears in casual conversation. It is typically uncountable, though it can occasionally take a plural in engineering literature when referring to distinct types or instances.
Easily confused with embrittlement
Enrollment means the act of registering or the number registered, while embrittlement refers to materials becoming brittle.