Cementation

/ˌsɛmənˈteɪʃən/ noun

Definition

The process of bonding or joining materials together with cement, or in metallurgy, the process of infusing carbon into steel.

Etymology

From Latin caementum with suffix -ation indicating a process. The word has both literal (construction) and technical (metallurgical) meanings that developed over time.

Kelly Says

Medieval blacksmiths discovered cementation by accident when they buried iron in charcoal—the carbon would seep into the metal and make it harder, creating the first version of steel centuries before modern furnaces.

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