OVERVIEW

Metallic materials, integral to everyday life, are the result of thousands of years of development and technological advancement. The areas covered range from archaeology to engineering, through chemistry and materials science. For this reason, the course consists of a brief introduction to the history of metallurgy, "how did we get here," to arrive at modern steelmaking with a vision of carbon steels and the impact of heat, mechanical, and chemical treatments in conditioning their salient properties. The course contributes to understanding research activities and job prospects in metallurgy through examples and case studies that provide a concrete vision of practical applications. 

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide the basic concepts of metallurgy and of the production and processing processes of metallic materials. Knowledge of the principles for selecting and manufacturing metallic materials in relation to their different industrial use. Knowledge of the main metallographic investigation techniques. Ability to recognize the microstructures of steels and metal alloys in the various stages of industrial production and transformation and to relate them to the properties in use.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

This course aims to provide students with tools to understand the nature of metals and alloys from both microscopic and macroscopic perspectives, enabling them to appreciate their practical applicability. Students are guided in acquiring the ability to correlate the intrinsic properties of the metallic bond with the main characteristics of metals and their alloys so that they can, subsequently, be able to connect the thermomechanical history of the material to its mechanical properties and, both, to the microstructure. The learning outcomes correspond to being able to understand and predict the impact of the thermomechanical history, related to production or use, on the microstructure of carbon steel and cast iron and, consequently, to identify correlations with the resulting mechanical properties.

At the end of the course, the student will have the tools to reason in a structured and critical way on the active scientific approach to the study and use of metallic materials in industrial practice.

At the end of the course, thanks to the acquired awareness of the development of techniques and applied knowledge, as well as material culture, the student will be able to:

- explain the nature of the crystalline structure (atomic level), the microstructure (crystalline level) of metals and alloys, and the resulting macroscopic properties, whether chemical, physical, or technological;

- understand the nature and the respective difference between the structures based on whether they are in equilibrium or out of equilibrium, connecting this concept to the common production techniques and transformation processes of metals and alloys through thermal, mechanical, and combined treatments;

- know the main mechanical properties (tensile strength, hardness, hot creep, fatigue, resilience);

- know the main techniques for characterizing metallurgical samples (e.g., sample preparation, optical microscopy, and electronic microscopy)

- correlate the knowledge acquired with the behavior in operation or with the various stages of industrial production and transformation.

Students with a course of study requiring fewer than 8 ECTS will complete theoretical training but lack the practical laboratory component.

Therefore, based on the CFU (credits):

6 CFU: from the introduction to metallurgy to mechanical testing; topics concerning sample preparation and metallographic etching are excluded. The achieved learning outcomes provide the competencies needed to understand mechanical properties, microstructures, and the effects of heat treatments.

7 CFU: theoretical part only; the practical laboratory component is not delivered. The achieved learning outcomes are complete for the theoretical part and enable understanding of the correlation between the main techniques for characterizing metallic materials and their thermomechanical history, as well as their technological and mechanical properties.

8 CFU: complete training, including practical laboratory experience. The achieved learning outcomes enable the planning of experiments and practical activities that correlate metallographic and mechanical data obtained from carbon steel or cast iron samples with different thermomechanical histories.

PREREQUISITES

It is considered an advantage for the student to have some knowledge of inorganic chemistry and, in particular, a basis in phase diagrams of binary alloys and crystal lattices. The teaching is open to all and structured to provide opportunities to learn, even with minimal chemical knowledge.

TEACHING METHODS

The teaching takes place over 48 hours (6 CFU) in the classroom through frontal teaching. Each lesson is enriched with practical application examples deriving from field experience and research activities.

For students with 7 CFU required by their study plan, 13 hours of theoretical-practical teaching are planned in the laboratory with the full-time teachers assisted by laboratory tutors. Students are divided into groups of 4 or 5 people so that they can alternate in the various activities. The organization and dates of the laboratory activities will be communicated directly by the teachers at the beginning of the lessons.

For students with 8 CFU required by their study plan, 26 hours of theoretical-practical teaching are planned in the laboratory with the full-time teachers assisted by laboratory tutors. Students are divided into groups of 4 or 5 people so that they can alternate in the various activities. The organization and dates of the laboratory activities will be communicated directly by the teachers at the beginning of the lessons.

For the above students (7 CFU and 8 CFU), attendance at the laboratory is mandatory, as per the Teaching Regulations.

Students enrolled in 6 CFU complete the teaching component in the classroom.

Compensatory and dispensatory measures Disability/Invalidity/Specific Learning Disorder

Dispensatory measures and compensatory tools are intended to enable students to achieve the same learning objectives as their fellow students, not to facilitate the examination.

The use of compensatory tools and the application of dispensatory measures must be authorized in advance by the teacher in agreement with the Referee.

To take advantage of the adaptations during the examination, fill in the Adaptation request form; the request will be automatically sent by the system to the teacher in charge of the teaching, to the Contact Person of your School/Area/Department, and in copy to the Sector; you will also receive a copy of the request sent by e-mail.

The adjustments available to students are as follows:

• Additional time (+30% DSA)
• Additional time (+50% disability/invalidity)
• Additional time during oral exams to organize the answer
• Calculator (programmable and graphing calculators are not allowed)
• Conceptual Maps
• Tables and/or Forms
• Take the exam in written form
• Take the exam in oral form
• Tutor reader (for written tests only)
• Tutor-writer (for written tests only)

Please submit your request for adaptations at least 7 working days before the scheduled exam date.

All information for students with disabilities and DSA is available on the webpage: Services for students with disabilities or DSA | UniGe | University of Genoa

Reference for inclusion: Sergio Di Domizio - sergio.didomizio@unige.it

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

General Metallurgy

Definition of metal, metallic bond, lattice, lattice defects, alloying element, and formation of an alloy. Correlation between the main properties of metals and alloys with the metallic bond and the crystalline lattice state. Definition of solid solution, intermetallic phase, compound, eutectic, and peritectic transformation. Melt-solid transition for a pure metal and for an alloy. Primary segregation (microsegregation), macrosegregation, and macrodefectiveness of a melt. Solidification in the ingot mold and distinction of zones: Microcrystalline, transcrystalline, equiaxed.

Characterization of metallic materials

Optical and electronic metallographic characterization: Primary attacks for steels: Thiography (Bauman impression), Oberhoffer, Lechatelier. Secondary attacks: Nital, Picral.

Characterization of mechanical properties: hardness, tensile stress, creep, fatigue, and impact strength.

Equilibrium and out-of-equilibrium structures

The Fe-C diagram: distinction between steels and cast irons, identification of critical points and transformations of iron and its alloys. Steels at equilibrium. White cast irons. Grey cast irons. Introduction to S-curves (Bain curves, TTT curves) and CCC curves. Heat treatments of steel in the gamma field: soft annealing, isothermal annealing, normalization, and hardening. Heat treatments of steel in the alpha field: tempering of a hardened steel (quenching and tempering) and definition of hardenability (Jominy specimen), stress relief, and recrystallization. Surface heat treatments (surface hardening). Surface thermochemical treatments: carburizing, nitriding.

Program for students using the 7 ECTS course

Practical activities of: application of heat treatments on carbon steel samples, hardness measurements on treated samples,

Program for students using the 8 ECTS course

In addition to the above, metallographic preparation and characterization using a metallographic optical microscope with hints of image analysis. Recognition of microstructures observed under the microscope. Demonstration of the use of electronic microscopy and sand casting practice.

Students using the 6 ECTS course do not have access to laboratory activities

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

All slides used during the lessons and other teaching materials will be available on aul@web. In general, the notes taken during the lessons and the material on aul@web are sufficient for the preparation of the exam.

Daniel A. Brandt, Metallurgy Fundamentals, Goodheart-Willcox; Sixth Edition, Textbook (October 9, 2019)

D.R. Askeland, P.P Fulay, W. J. Wright, The Science and Engineering of Materials, 2010 Cengage Learning, Inc.

R. E. Smallman and A. H.W. Ngan, Physical Metallurgy and Advanced Materials, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2007

In case the student autonomously finds a book potentially suitable for this teaching, it is mandatory to submit it to the teachers evaluation before to proceed with its usage.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

According to the timetable reported here 

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam is oral.

The test is divided into 3 questions, one for each macro topic (General metallurgy, characterization of materials, equilibrium and non-equilibrium structures with related heat treatments). Each answer is evaluated on a scale of 0 to 10 points.

The final grade is the sum of the points earned for the answers.

Students who have a valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances related to lectures, coursework, and exams should speak with both the teacher and Professor Sergio Di Domizio (sergio.didomizio@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The purpose of the exam is to verify knowledge of the course's basic concepts and the ability to logically connect them to describe the correlation between microstructural aspects and macroscopic properties of metallic materials.

The propriety of language and coherence in reasoning are given great consideration in the evaluation, with particular emphasis on the ability to make connections.

The questions are posed to allow a detailed exposition of a specific topic. There are three questions, and each focuses on one of the three sections that characterize the teaching, leaving room for reasoning. The understanding of the subject and the ability to apply it in practical work and research are assessed.

FURTHER INFORMATION

The course is preparatory for the Advanced Metallurgy courses (Master's Degree in Advanced Materials Science and Technology, formerly Materials Science) and Non-Ferrous Metals. For further information on the historical aspect and on applications in the field of cultural heritage, this course can be integrated with Metallurgy for Cultural Heritage of the Master's Degree in Methodologies for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage.

The teaching is updated every year based on innovations in the metallurgical sector, the evolution of research at a global level, and requests from students through the collection of end-of-semester questionnaires.

Students who have a valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances related to lectures, coursework, and exams should speak with both the instructor and Professor Sergio Di Domizio (sergio.didomizio@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.