48949 - Metallurgy

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will acquire basic knowledge about the relationships between the microstructure of metals, the processes that determine it, and their respective mechanical, physical, and chemical properties. The ultimate goal is to develop skills in selecting metals and alloys based on their specific applications, with a focus on the steels most commonly used in industrial contexts.

Course contents

Prerequisites

Students are expected to have acquired the following knowledge and competencies:

• Elementary mathematical functions: powers, roots, exponential and logarithmic functions; solution of algebraic equations; basic knowledge of differential and integral calculus.
• Basic knowledge of the main physical quantities, the relationships among them, and the corresponding SI units.
• Chemical reactions and their balancing.
• Fundamentals of thermodynamics and phase equilibria in single-component and multicomponent systems.

 

Crystal structure of metals and metallic alloys, point defects in crystal lattices, and diffusion processes.

Metallic alloys and phase diagrams; phases and microstructural constituents; cooling curves, the phase rule, and the lever rule.

Solidification of pure metals and alloys; nucleation and growth mechanisms; solidification microstructures and defects.

Main mechanical properties of metallic materials and related testing methods, including tensile testing, impact toughness, hardness, fatigue, creep, friction, and wear.

Deformation of metallic materials, including elastic and plastic deformation, with particular reference to dislocation theory.

Strengthening mechanisms in metallic materials, including solid-solution strengthening, work hardening, grain refinement, precipitation hardening, and dispersion strengthening.

The iron–carbon phase diagram; phases and microstructural constituents; typical steel microstructures as a function of carbon content under equilibrium conditions; effects of alloying elements.

Classification and designation of steels, including general-purpose structural steels, engineering steels, tool steels, and stainless steels.

Isothermal and continuous-cooling transformations in steels; ferritic, pearlitic, bainitic, and martensitic transformations; Time–Temperature–Transformation (TTT) and Continuous Cooling Transformation (CCT) diagrams.

Heat treatment of steels, including annealing, normalizing, quenching, and tempering.

Thermochemical treatments of steels, including carburizing and nitriding, for improving wear resistance and fatigue performance.

Readings/Bibliography

To prepare for the examination, students are expected to have access to the lecture slides provided during the classroom sessions.

For further study and a deeper understanding of the course topics, the following textbooks are recommended:

• S. Barella, A. Gruttadauria, Metallurgia e Materiali non metallici, Esculapio.
• A. Cigada, T. Pastore, Struttura e proprietà dei materiali metallici, McGraw-Hill.
• W. Nicodemi, Metallurgia – Principi generali, Zanichelli.
• G. M. Paolucci, Appunti dalle lezioni di Metallurgia per la laurea in Ingegneria Meccanica, Vols. 1–2, Edizioni Libreria Progetto, Padova.
• D. R. Askeland, P. Webster, The Science and Engineering of Materials, Chapman & Hall.
• W. D. Callister, Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction (Italian edition published by Edises).
• W. F. Smith, J. Hashemi, Foundations of Materials Science and Engineering (Italian edition published by McGraw-Hill).

All of these references are available through the University's libraries or as e-books accessible via the University's online library services.

Teaching methods

Class lectures will be given according to the timetable, interactive learning tests, and audiovisuals on the main concepts.

Assessment methods

The assessment is designed to evaluate students' understanding of the fundamental concepts of metallurgy. In particular, it aims to assess their ability to apply the criteria for selecting the most appropriate metallic materials and heat treatments for the manufacture of mechanical components operating under specific service conditions, as well as their ability to identify the causes of failures and malfunctions related to material properties.

The examination consists of a written and an oral component. The written component is a structured multiple-choice test (45 minutes) administered through the University's EOL online platform. Students must achieve the minimum required score in the written test to be admitted to the oral examination. The final grade is determined by combining the results of both components, with the written test accounting for one-third of the final grade and the oral examination for two-thirds.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI), textbooks, lecture notes, and other course materials is not permitted during either part of the examination.

Examples of multiple-choice questions and open-ended questions are presented by the course tutor and are available in the lecture slides uploaded to the VIRTUALE learning platform for this course.

Students wishing to take the examination must register in advance for the selected examination session and present a valid form of identification on the day of the exam. Students who register but subsequently decide not to attend are kindly requested to cancel their registration in advance. Failure to do so will result in the examination record being marked as "Withdrawn."

Teaching tools

PC and projector, blackboard.

The teaching material will be available on the website VIRTUALE.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Morri