BSc Materials Science and Engineering

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The unit builds on prior knowledge to show how basic metallurgical principles can be used to explain the microstructure of industrial materials, as well as how they are processed and tailored to optimise their performance. 

The unit aims to: 

• Enable the student to explain and apply the metallurgical principles for processing common commercial alloy systems to ‘design’ their performance.
• Enable the student to explain how to control grain structures using thermomechanical processing.
• Enable the student to use fundamental metallurgical knowledge of phase equilibrium and phase transformations to design alloy microstructures and control their properties.
• Provide the student with knowledge about the properties and applications of industrial alloys.

A greater depth of the learning outcomes will be covered in the following sections:

• Knowledge and understanding
• Intellectual skills
• Practical skills
• Transferable skills and personal qualities

a)      The student will learn about common commercial alloy systems (e.g. carbon and alloy steels, non-heat-treated and heat-treatable Al-alloys), in relation to typical phase diagrams.

b)      The student will learn about the properties and applications of steels and Al engineering alloys.

c)      The student will learn about the production and processing routes used in industry for semi-finished products, as well as their energy requirements, and CO2 footprint.

d)      The student will be able to explain the principles, mechanisms and kinetics of recrystallization, and how recrystallization processes can be exploited to engineer grain structures during TMP.

e)      The student will be able to explain the main phase transformations that occur in each alloy system, their key characteristics and how they can be manipulated through processing and composition control.

f)       The student will be able to explain structure /property/ microstructure relationships for a range of engineering alloys.

a)      The student will be able to apply logical reasoning, problem solving and ability in applied mathematics.

b)      The student will be able to apply metallurgical knowledge to predict material microstructures.

c)      The student will be able to explain of the effect of changing the chemistry and microstructure/architecture of a material on its properties.

d)      The student will be able to apply simple models to predict a materials’ behaviour.

a)      The student will be able to perform simple calculations of reaction kinetics and material properties such as yield strength.

b)      The student will be able to identify a variety of microstructures and microconstituents.

c)      The student will be able to identify the effect of heat treatments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of alloys

a)      The student will be able to convert word problems into equations and numerical answers.

b)      The student will be able to develop techniques for estimating the results from calculations.

c)      The student will be able to work effectively in a group to solve problems.

Written and verbal

• “Materials Science and Engineering - An Introduction”, W. D. Callister, D. G. Rethwisch, Pub. Wiley, 2010. Chapters 9-11
• “Phase transformations in Metals and Alloys”, D.A. Porter, K.E. Easterling, M. Sherif, Pub.Chapman and Hall, 2009
• “Steels, Processing, Structure and Performance” George Krauss, ASM International.  2005.
• “Steels – Microstructure and Properties”, H. K. D. H. Badheshia & R.W.K. Honeycombe, Butterworth-Hainmann, 2006.
• Light Alloys, Fourth Edition: From Traditional Alloys to Nanocrystals, I. J. Polmear, pub Arnold. 2005.
• Additional references have been uploaded on Blackboard.