Brittle

Brittle refers to a material's tendency to fracture or break easily without significant deformation when subjected to stress. In contrast to ductile materials, which can stretch or bend before breaking, brittle materials exhibit little to no plasticity. Common examples of brittle materials include glass, ceramics, and certain metals at low temperatures. Brittle failure often occurs suddenly and can result in sharp fractures, making it important in engineering and materials science to identify and manage brittleness to prevent catastrophic failures in structures and components. The brittleness of a material can be influenced by factors such as temperature, composition, and the presence of microstructural flaws.