last modified: 07/03/2006

Course code: MS3021

Course name: Metals Science

This concerns a Course

In the program of  MSc MSE                                         and of 

EC (European Credits): 3 (1 EC concerns a work load of 28 hours)

Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering

Department of MSE

Lecturer 1: Prof.dr. Ian Richardson (coordinator)

Tel.:  015 - 27 85086 /      

Lecturer 2: Prof.dr.ir. Leo Kestens

Lecturer 3: Dr.ir. Wim Sloof

Lecturer 4 : Prof.ir. Laurens Katgerman

lecturer 5: Prof.dr. Hans de Wit

Catalog data:

Microstructure, Nucleation, Growth, Interfaces, Solid-State Transformations, Crystallographic Texture, Solidification, Diffusion, Segregation, Grain Boundary, Dislocation, Hardening,  Hall-Petch Relation, Constitutional Undercooling, Precipitation.

Course year:

MSc 1st year

Course language:

English

 

In case of Dutch: Please contact the lecturer about an English alternative, whenever needed.

Semester:

2A

Hours per week:

6

Other hours:

     

Assessment:

Written exam

Assessment period:

2A / August

(see academic calendar)

 

Prerequisites (course codes):

- MS4041 Structure of Materials, 

- MS4021 Structure Characterisation,

- MS4061 Thermodynamics and Kinetics

Follow up (course codes):

Specialisation Course Metals Science & Technology:

- MS3412 Processing of Metals,

- MS3442 Relation between Properties & Microstructure,

- MS3461 Corrosion & Protection against Corrosion,

- MS3452 Total Performance Approach: Case Studies

Detailed description of topics:

Metals represent a vital class of materials for a technological society. This course examines the structure and properties of metals across a range of length scales, addressing issues of microstructural changes and phase transformations, metals production techniques and the behaviour of metals in generic applications.

 

The course covers microstructures, mechanical properties in relation to microstructures and solidification. In addition introductions are given to the influence of welding on microstructures and properties and on the susceptibility of metals to corrosion.

 

            Microstructural aspects include:

1)         the essential characteristics of different types of interface between either grains of the same phase or

             grains of different phases, the formation of metastable phases, and orientation relations.

2)         the classical nucleation theory for phase transformations in the solid state, and the relation to 

             experimental observations on nucleation.

3)         the basic features of phase-transformation models for diffusion-controlled, interface-controlled, and

             mixed-mode transformations, and the relation to experimental results.

4)         diffusionless / martensitic phase transformations occurring under either thermal or mechanical driving

             force.

5)         the origin of crystallographic texture in metallic microstructures, the representation of texture and the 

             experimental techniques to measure texture on a macro- or microscopic scale.

6)         the characteristics of the microstructure of a range of commercial steels, aluminium alloys, titanium

             alloys and magnesium alloys, the main features of the technological processing of these alloys and the

             main application areas.

 

Mechanical properties of metals in relation with their microstructure include descriptions of dislocations, slip systems, movement of dislocations, interactions between dislocations, lattice defects and precipitates. Concepts of dislocation generation and multiplication are discussed. Strength of metals is considered including temperature and strain rate dependence of the flow stress. Strengthening mechanisms such as solute and precipitation hardening, work hardening and grain size refinement are described. The relation between strength and grain size i.e. the Hall-Petch relation is discussed.

 

Solidification and melting describe transformations between crystallographic and non-crystallographic states of a metal or alloy. Basic phenomena during solidification are explained including: nucleation and growth, heat flow and micro segregation. The effects of major process parameters on these phenomena are described, as well as their effect on as-cast microstructures.

Course material:

  • D.A. Porter and  K.E. Easterling  Phase Transformations in Metals and Alloys, Chapman and Hall, 2nd Edition, 1992.
  • D. Hull and D.J.Bacon Introduction to Dislocations, 4th Edition, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2001.
  • G. den Ouden  Lastechnologie, Delftse Uitgevers Maatschappij, 3rd Edition, 1993. (English translation in progress). Chapter 5 & 6
  • D.A. Jones Principles and Prevention of Corrosion, Prentice Hall,1996
  • J. Beddies and M.J. Bibby, Principles of Metal Manufacturing Processes, Arnold, 1999.

References from literature:

  •      

Remarks assessment, entry requirements, etc.:

3 hours,  closed book

Learning goals:

The student is able to describe the characteristic features of metals, explain the dominant structures and mechanisms responsible for their physical and mechanical properties and describe the temperature dependence of these structures and mechanisms.

 

More specifically, the student is able to:

1.   distinguish the different types of interfaces and their characteristic properties.

2.   identify the microstructural parameters that play a critical role in the nucleation behaviour of various

      solid-state transformation processes based on thermodynamic principles,.

3.   differentiate between the different types of growth modes, to make the link with the kinetic features of

      the transformation, and to derive the relevance for the microstructural features.

4.   identify the mechanism, including the crystallographic features, of a diffusionless transformation.

5.   quantitatively describe the crystallographic texture of metals and understands the importance of the

      crystallographic texture with regard to the anisotropic behaviour of metals.

6.   identify and read the microstructures of various common metallic systems, relate the microstructures to

      the corresponding phase diagram and interpret these microstructural features in terms of a selected

      group of material properties.

7.   describe dislocations, dislocation movement, dislocation interactions with other dislocations, lattice (e.g.

      solute atoms, grain boundaries) defects and precipitates in fundamental terms.

8.   explain plastic deformation of metals using dislocation theory.

9.   illustrate the origin and multiplication of dislocations

10. describe the strengthening mechanisms for metals: solute and precipitation strengthening, work

     hardening, grain size effect (Hall-Petch relation)

11. explain the difference between nucleation and growth during solidification.

12. explain the different growth modes

13. formulate the effect of cooling rate on the phase transformation and the resulting microstructure.

14. explain and apply the principle of constitutional undercooling to actual solidification situations.

15. formulate the occurrence of segregation during solidification.

16. formulate the different heat transfer modes during solidification.

17. explain the occurrence of different morphologies by applying principles of heat and mass flow.

18. identify the main materials engineering aspects of solidification and casting.

19. appraise the influence of the welding thermal cycle on material structure and properties

20. recognise corrosion mechanisms and their dependence on microstructures.

21. Apply all of the above in problems representing simplified and real cases.

Computer use:

     

Laboratory project(s):

2 x 1/2 days, Casting / Solidification (5th and 6th week)

Design content: