text: * Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is the embrittlement caused by exposure to aqueous, corrosive materials. It relies on both a corrosive environment and the presence of tensile (not compressive) stress.
  * Sulfide stress cracking is the embrittlement caused by absorption of hydrogen sulfide.
  * Adsorption embrittlement is the embrittlement caused by wetting.
  * Liquid metal embrittlement (LME) is the embrittlement caused by liquid metals.
  * Metal-induced embrittlement (MIE) is the embrittlement caused by diffusion of atoms of metal, either solid or liquid, into the material. For example, cadmium coating on high-strength steel, which was originally done to prevent corrosion.
  * Grain boundary segregation can cause brittle intergranular fracture. During solidification the grain boundaries end up as the repository for the impurities in the alloy by segregation. This grain boundary segregation can create a network of low-toughness paths through the material.
  * The primary embrittlement mechanism of plastics is gradual loss of plasticizers, usually by overheating or aging.
  * The primary embrittlement mechanism of asphalt is by oxidation, which is most severe in warmer climates. Asphalt pavement embrittlement (aka crocodile cracking) can lead to various forms of cracking patterns, including longitudinal, transverse, and block (hexagonal). Asphalt oxidation is related to polymer degradation, as these materials bear similarities in their chemical composition.