Why study metallurgy

Techniques include chemical processing to convert minerals from inorganic compounds to useful metals and other materials. Concepts such as alloy design and microstructural engineering help link processing and thermodynamics to the structure and properties of metals. Through these efforts, goods and services are produced. Metals and mineral products surround us everywhere — at home, on our way to and from work and in our offices or factories.

They form the backbone of modern aircraft, automobiles, trains, ships, and endless recreational vehicles; buildings; implantable devices; cutlery and cookware; coins and jewelry; firearms; and musical instruments. The uses are endless.

While threats abound from alternative material choices, metals continue to be at the forefront and are the only choice for many industrial applications. We have the means to measure properties at the macro, micro, nano and atomic scales, giving us unprecedented access to fuel new developments. The strong dependence of our society on metals gives the profession of metallurgical engineering its sustained importance in the modern world.

It is believed by most that our economic and technical progress into the 21st century will depend in large part on further advances in metal and mineral technology. For example, advancements in energy technologies, such as the widespread use of nuclear fusion, will only be possible by material developments not yet in existence. The demand for careers in metallurgy is not at the forefront of our educational system due in large part to the inability of the metallurgical community to communicate to management our role in engineering and manufacturing.

While metallurgists should be involved in all aspects of modern engineering, this is seldom the case. The failure of management to understand what we do is often a failure to understand the engineering life cycle and the interrelationship of engineering disciplines to each other.

In the design of any engineered component, it is necessary to fully understand and address two key questions that the metallurgist is best qualified to answer, namely:. What must the component endure during service i. Questions such as the following must be addressed: What are the rigors of the application, and what is the design life?

Must the component part provide premier service, or is there an adequate design life involved i. What loading, lubricants, temperature and contaminants are involved? How will the component part be made i. Questions such as the following must be addressed: How will its basic form be generated, and how will it be heat treated — if at all? Will it be important to introduce particular mechanical properties?

If so, how — by heat treatment or mechanical means? Is geometry or surface finishes important? Will special coatings be used? Is dimensional control stability or stability at temperature an issue? View the courses and requirements for courses that can be studied as part of the Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering field of study. Email: enquiries eait. Email: study uq. Enquire online. Chemical engineering is concerned with inventing, designing, and managing products and processes that transform raw materials into valuable products.

This is done using the latest knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics to ensure viable commercial production whilst minimising loss of materials and energy consumption. This value-adding must be safe, economical and environmentally sound. Metallurgical engineering plays a key role in ensuring the sustainability of our modern society.

Everything in our material world, even our major energy sources, is derived from minerals or recycled materials. It is the role of the metallurgical engineer to develop, design and operate processes that transform these low value raw materials into useful high value mineral and metal products. These two areas of engineering combine well because Metallurgical Eng is an extension of the fundamentals of Chemical Engineering.

They say that if you work a job you love, you'll never work a day in your life. But is it really that simple? Our student advisors can assist you with your enrolment, help you plan your studies and answer any questions about how studying through OUA works. We'll be in touch to answer your questions.

Pathways to this career. Complete bachelor degree in science or engineering , majoring in metallurgy or chemical engineering. An honours year may be required, depending on the specific degree. Ready to take your career to new heights? Define your expertise as a metallurgist with a postgraduate applied science degree.

Stay on-top of what's happening in your industry with organisations like Engineers Australia or the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Study science online.