Abrasion is the means by which the surface of an object can become scratched, scuffed, worn down or rubbed away.
Alloy
An alloy is a metal that has been made by combining two or more metals together to produce a final product which has better properties than the pure elements from which it is made. Bronze is an example of an alloy.
Brittle
The brittleness of a material is a measure of how easily it will break and shatter rather than stretching or compressing, when stress forces are applied to it.
Catalyst
A catalyst is a substance that causes or speeds up a chemical reaction between two other substances.
Electrolyte
An electrolyte is a solution formed when salts, acids or bases are dissolved in a solvent such as water and split into their positive and negative ions within the solvent.
Hardness
Hardness is a measure of how well a material resists scratching and changing its shape when a force is applied to it.
Quenching
Quenching is the process of rapidly cooling metal during manufacturing, often using water. It’s done as part of heat treating to achieve desirable properties in the metal, such as strength and hardness.
Rusting
Rusting is a form of corrosion undergone by metals that contain iron. It occurs when such metals are left unprotected in the presence of oxygen and moisture in the atmosphere.
Saturated
A material is said to be saturated when it can no longer hold or absorb any more of a liquid or gas.
Toughness
Toughness is the measure of a material’s ability to stretch or compress without breaking or shattering when a force is applied to it.