The removal of carbon from steel or iron through heating, typically making the metal softer and less brittle.
From de- + carbon + -ation. Emerged in metallurgy in the 19th century as engineers studied how heat and oxidation affect metal composition and properties.
Blacksmiths have been accidentally discovering decarburation for centuries—if they heat steel wrong, it loses carbon and becomes weak, which taught them valuable lessons about controlling the process!
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