Eutectoid Steel

Steel that in the annealed condition consists entirely of pearlite. This steel contains about 0.78 percent carbon in a pure iron-carbon alloy. In alloy steels, the eutectoid carbon content is usually lower. Steels with less than the eutectoid carbon content are known as hypo-eutectoid and contain free ferrite as well as pearlite. Steels with more carbon are known as hyper-eutectoid and contain free cementite.