Master of Engineering (MEng)

MEng Materials Science and Engineering with Metallurgy

If you think your future lies in metallurgy, then join us and study advanced alloys, which will enable you to change the world.
  • Duration: 4 years
  • Year of entry: 2025
  • UCAS course code: F200 / Institution code: M20
  • Key features:
  • Scholarships available
  • Accredited course

Full entry requirementsHow to apply

Course unit details:
Engineering Alloys in Service

Course unit fact file
Unit code MATS24102
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 5
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Offered by Department of Materials
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

Case studies in the transport and power industry; e.g. weight reduction strategies in future automotive designs, performance vs. cost; economics of corrosion prevention in nuclear power generation.

Aims

The unit aims to:  

  • Demonstrate the ways that the metallurgical principles can be used to engineer the microstructure of metallic alloys in order to control their mechanical performance and degradation in service; through the use of case studies.  
  • Introduce the industrial application of materials engineering by using examples to illustrate the requirement to balance performance against cost, environmental impact and component lifetime, in commercial products.

 

Learning outcomes

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

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures, group tutorials (problem sessions), recommended textbooks, web resources, past exam papers, Pod casts, web-based self-evaluation and supporting information (Blackboard), peer-assisted study sessions (PASS).

 

 

Knowledge and understanding

  • Ability to relate the economic and environmental context for materials engineering in product development. 
  • Basic knowledge to apply the physical principles (e.g. thermodynamics, kinetics, mechanical behaviour) of the discipline to engineer microstructures for optimisation of performance.  
  • Identify the principles of microstructure control in casting and thermomechanical processing.  
  • Outline skills to employ the basic principles involved in design for high temperature including creep and oxidation resistance.  
  • Ability to apply basic thermodynamics and kinetics to evaluate corrosion and oxidation.  
  • Relate the scientific and engineering related knowledge on the application of surface engineering to improve materials performance, in service-life,  and the control of corrosion. 
 

 

Intellectual skills

  • Show improved logical reasoning, problem solving and ability in applied mathematics.  
  • Ability to identify the effect of changing the chemistry and microstructure/architecture of a material on its properties and performance in service.
 

Practical skills

  • Ability to apply the laboratory skills that require for corrosion testing and related experiments.  

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Skills to convert word problems into equations and numerical answers.  
  • Recognize the metallurgical related concepts to determine best technical options.  
 

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Written exam 70%
Written assignment (inc essay) 30%

Feedback methods

Verbal and written

Recommended reading

  • “Phase transformations in Metals and Alloys”, D.A. Porter, K.E. Easterling, M. Sherif, Pub. Chapman and Hall, 2009.  
  • Materials Science and Engineering - An Introduction, W. D. Callister, D. G. Rethwisch, Pub. Wiley, 2010.  
  • Shreir's corrosion, R. A. Cottis, M. Graham, R. Lindsay, L. S.B., J. A. Richardson, D. Scantlebury and H. Stott, eds., Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2009.
  • Corrosion Engineering, Mars G. Fontana, Tata McGraw-Hill, 2005.

 

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 20
Independent study hours
Independent study 80

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Wajira Mirihanage Unit coordinator

Return to course details