Academic Year 2018/2019

Learning outcomes

The primary focus of the Metallurgy T program is to provide undergraduates with a fundamental knowledge-base associated with metals-processing, their properties, and their selection and application.  The main learning objectives are: (i) how to select metallic materials for producing mechanical components working in a given service condition; (ii) how to relate their mechanical properties to the microstructure, induced by the production process and heat treatment; (iii) how to identify the reason for malfunctioning related to material features. Particular attention will be devoted to the presentation of the main microstructural, fractographic and mechanical characterization techniques for steels and light alloys.

Course contents

Course introduction. Presentation of course contents, teaching method and materials, and of assessment methods.

Mechanical testing and properties: tensile, hardness, toughness, fatigue, creep, friction and wear

Alloys and phase diagrams. Phases and structural constituents. Cooling curves, phase and lever rules. Solidification and cooling of binary metal alloys.

Solidification microstructure and defects. Casting technology basics. Nucleation and growth of pure metals and alloys. Influence of solidification microstructure and defects on the mechanical properties. Solidification structures control methodologies.

Crystal structure and imperfections in the atomic arrangement. Main crystal structures of metals and their effect on mechanical properties. Point defects and atoms movements in materials (diffusion).

Elastic and plastic deformation of metals. Elastic deformation: physical, engineering and metallurgical meaning of the elastic modulus and variables of influence. Plastic deformation of metals based on the dislocations theory.

Strengthening mechanisms of metals: solid solution, strain hardening, grain refinement, precipitation and dispersion.

Iron-Carbon phase diagram. Phases and micro-constituents. Cooling and solidification of steels in equilibrium conditions. Equilibrium microstructures of carbon steels. Short overview of cast irons and stainless steels.

Designation and classification of the main metallic materials according to EURONORM

Phase transformation in steels: ferritic, pearlitic, bainitic and martensitic phase transformation; Bain curves: TTT and CCT curves.

Heat treatments of steels: annealing, normalizing, quenching, tempering.

Thermochemical diffusion treatments of steels: carburizing and nitriding for the enhancement of friction/wear and fatigue properties.

Aluminium alloys. Alloying elements. Designation. Heat treatments. Main alloying elements. Physical, mechanical and technological properties. Main application fields.

Microstructural and fractographic analyses of metals

Selection criteria of metals as a function of the service conditions.

Readings/Bibliography

Course Material (slides and notes in Italian). All the slides used by the teacher are available in the Moodle repository, as password-protected pdf files (in Italian).

Donald R. Askeland, P Webster "The science and engineering of materials", Chapman & Hall

W.D. Callister, “Fundamentals of Materials Science and Engineering”, J.Wiley and Sons (2001)

Teaching methods

Classroom lectures according to the timetable. All the slides used by the teacher are available in the Moodle repository, before each lesson. Visit to the metallurgy lab with practical activities.

Assessment methods

Examination in English can be arranged by previous contact with the teacher.

The final examination consists of a written test, aiming at assessing if the student learned how (i) to select metallic materials and treatments for producing mechanical components that work in a given service condition and how (ii) to identify the reasons for malfunctioning related to material features.

The written examination consists of two parts:

  • A multiple choice test consisting of 30 questions, 4 options per question (45 minutes);
  • Open questions: 2 questions (60 minutes). Answers to multiple choice questions will be evaluated as follows:
  • +1,1 pt for each correct answer
  • 0 pt for each missing answer
  • -0,25 pt for each wrong answer

The final grade will be calculated as weighted average of the grade for each section, with the following weights:

  • part 1 (multiple choice test) =35
  • part 2 - open question 1 =35
  • part 2 - open question 2 = 30

Examples of questions are available in the teaching material available in the Moodle repository for this course.

Textbooks and electronic devices are not allowed during the examination.

Examinations schedule is available in advance on the University of Bologna web site AlmaEsami. Students willing to take the exam must join the student list on the web site AlmaEsami, carefully considering deadlines for student list opening and closing. Students are required to show their own ID before taking the exam.

The official registration of the final evaluation takes place on a date communicated through Almaesami and it can take place in the absence of the student.

Teaching tools

Classrooom lectures with both PC/slide projector and blackboard. Students are encouraged to attend Metallurgy classes in order to improve their final learning outcomes. The course attendance is not mandatory and it does affect the final examination score. Visits to the Metallurgy research lab (equipment for metallographic preparation; optical and stereo microscopy with image analyser; hardness testers; tensile tester) are scheduled each year.

Office hours

See the website of Lorella Ceschini

SDGs

Industry, innovation and infrastructure Sustainable cities

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.