infusibility

infusibility

A scientist tests the infusibility of a ceramic material in a laboratory furnace.

Definition

Infusibility (noun)

  1. The quality of being incapable of being melted or fused (chiefly in metallurgy and materials science): the property of a substance that resists melting or fusion when exposed to high heat.
  2. The quality of being able to be infused (rare, from "infuse"): the capacity of a substance to be steeped or extracted, as in making tea or herbal remedies.
Usage Examples
  • (The quality of not melting under extreme heat.)
  • (The inability to melt or fuse the mineral.)
  • (The capacity to be steeped, though this usage is uncommon.)
Advanced Usage
  • "Infusibility under extreme conditions": a technical phrase used in engineering to describe materials that maintain structural integrity at very high temperatures.
    • The infusibility under extreme conditions of tungsten is well documented. (Tungsten's resistance to melting is proven.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Infusible (adjective): capable of being infused, or (more commonly in technical contexts) incapable of being melted.
    • This alloy is infusible at ordinary furnace temperatures. (The alloy does not melt.)
  • Infuse (verb): to steep or extract, or to instill a quality.
    • The chef will infuse the oil with garlic. (The oil will be steeped with garlic flavor.)
  • Fusibility (noun): the quality of being meltable (antonym of the primary meaning of infusibility).
Synonyms
  • Refractoriness: the quality of resisting heat and melting (used in ceramics and metallurgy).
  • Heat resistance: the ability to withstand high temperatures without melting.
  • Melt resistance: the property of not becoming liquid when heated.
Antonyms
  • Fusibility: the quality of being easily melted.
  • Meltability: the capacity to be melted.
Related Idioms
  • This is a technical term rarely used in everyday language.
Phrasal Verbs
  • The word is a noun and does not combine with prepositions as a verb would.