gamma iron
- noun
- Specialized
:
hierro gamma
- The transition from gamma iron to alpha iron changes the magnetic properties of the metal.
Examples
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At temperatures above 906°C, iron exists in the gamma iron form.
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Metallurgists study gamma iron because of its role in the formation of steel.
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The structure of gamma iron is crucial in steelmaking.
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Gamma iron is stable at high temperatures.
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At temperatures above 906°C, iron exists in the gamma iron form.
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Metallurgists study gamma iron because of its important role in the properties of steel.
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The structure of gamma iron is crucial in the processes used for steelmaking.
Surface Forms
Morphology
gamma + iron
Although 'iron' is a common word, 'gamma' is a technical label (a Greek-letter phase name) not likely known or meaningful to a B1 learner, and it gives no transparent sense of 'nonmagnetic allotrope stable at high temperatures.' The overall meaning is specialized metallurgical terminology that cannot be derived from the literal constituents, so learners who only know the component words would not reliably infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Gamma iron comes from the way scientists used Greek letters to name different forms of iron: the letter gamma was given to the hot, nonmagnetic form. So, gamma iron today means the form of iron you get at high heat, the 'nonmagnetic' form used when making steel.
