temperoitua

Temperoitua is a Finnish adjective formed from the verb temperoida, meaning that a material or object has undergone tempering. Tempering is a heat‑treatment process used mainly in metallurgy to modify mechanical properties, typically after hardening, so that the material becomes tougher and less brittle while maintaining adequate hardness.

In practice, temperoitua terästä refers to steel that has been heated to a controlled temperature and cooled under specific conditions. The tempering step relieves internal stresses from prior quenching and adjusts the balance between hardness, strength, and toughness. Tempering temperatures and times depend on the alloy and the desired properties, but common ranges are in the hundreds of degrees Celsius. The resulting microstructure often includes tempered martensite or other phase mixtures, yielding improved impact resistance compared with fully hardened steel.

The term can also be used more broadly in Finnish to describe anything that has been tempered or moderated, including processes, temperaments, or environmental conditions intended to reduce extremes. In non‑metallic contexts, the concept of tempering may be described with related terms depending on the discipline, but temperoitua typically remains associated with materials that have had their properties deliberately adjusted.

Etymology: temperoida is a Finnish verb meaning to temper; temperoitua is the corresponding past participle.