Heat treatment can have a significant effect on the toughness and hence fatigue resistance of a metal. In general, ________ grained microstructures tend to perform better than _________ grained.

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Fine grained microstructures tend to perform better than coarse grained because they have less defects and voids which can act as stress concentrators and initiate cracks. Additionally, the boundaries between grains can act as barriers to the propagation of cracks, improving the metal's toughness and resistance to fatigue. Austenitic and martensitic refer to different types of crystal structures and are not directly related to grain size.

Heat Treatment Can Have a Significant Effect on the Toughness