= Alloying element
An <alloying element> is a <chemical element> deliberately included in an <alloy> to control its properties or processing behaviour. In <steel>, <carbon> changes the phases and transformations available during <heat treatment>; other additions can modify <corrosion>, hardenability or high-temperature behaviour.
The effect depends on how an element is incorporated. Atoms dissolved in a <solid solution> can hinder <dislocation> motion, while an element concentrated in a <secondary phase> can affect strength through the size and distribution of particles. Thus a bulk composition does not uniquely determine <mechanical strength>: processing controls the <microstructure> through which the composition acts.<Properties of Heat Treated Steel by Massachusetts Institute of Technology>[Heat-treatment experiment, structure/property motivation]{ref}
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