Editing Quenching (section)

=== Purpose ===
Before hardening, cast steels and iron are of a uniform and lamellar (or layered) [[Pearlite|pearlitic]] grain structure. This is a mixture of [[Allotropes of iron|ferrite]] and [[cementite]] formed when steel or cast iron are manufactured and cooled at a slow rate. Pearlite is not an ideal material for many common applications of steel alloys as it is quite soft. By heating pearlite past its eutectoid transition temperature of 727&nbsp;°C and then rapidly cooling, some of the material's crystal structure can be transformed into a much harder structure known as martensite. Steels with this martensitic structure are often used in applications when the workpiece must be highly resistant to deformation, such as the cutting edge of blades. This is very efficient. {{Why|reason=Why is this more fficient?|date=July 2024}}