Which mechanical vulnerability resulted from the rapid quenching of bronze tools in ancient metallurgy?

💡 Explanation

When bronze tools were quenched rapidly, a high thermal gradient caused differential contraction leading to residual tensile stresses at the surface, making the tool more prone to brittle fracture. Therefore, the tool was susceptible to brittle fracture, rather than compressive stress, oxidation or reduced hardness, whose mechanisms involve different metallurgical processes.

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