Kovettaminen

Kovettaminen is a Finnish term that denotes the process by which a material or substance becomes harder, stiffer, or more rigid. It covers a range of physical and chemical changes that increase hardness or strength and is used across multiple disciplines.

In metallurgy and materials engineering, kovettaminen usually refers to heat-treatment based hardening. For example, steel can be heated to form austenite and then quenched to produce a martensitic structure, increasing hardness. The hardening step is often followed by tempering to improve toughness and reduce brittleness.

In polymers and adhesives, kovettaminen describes curing or cross-linking, where polymer chains form a three-dimensional network. This transition markedly raises rigidity, heat resistance, and dimensional stability, as seen in many epoxies, resins, and elastomer systems.

In civil engineering and construction, kovettuminen is used to describe the hardening of concrete as cement hydrates and products crystallize. Compressive strength increases over time, influenced by moisture, temperature, and curing conditions.

Other contexts include wood drying, where moisture loss can stiffen the material, and ceramics and composite processing, where sintering or cross-linking yields a firmer structure. Hardness testing (such as Rockwell, Vickers, or Brinell) and measurements of modulus of elasticity are used to assess the extent and quality of kovettaminen.

Etymology: the term derives from the Finnish verb kovetta, meaning to harden. Related concepts include kovitus (the hardening process) and kovettuminen (the state of having hardened).