METAL 405: Phase Transformations In Metals And Alloys

Textbook: Phase Transformations in Metals and Alloys by D. A. Porter and K. E. Easterling

Faculty: Zi-Kui Liu, Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

Description

Thermodynamics, kinetics, and interface crystallography. Phase equilibria, phase diagrams, phase transformations and heat treatments in metallic systems. Nucleation, transformation kinetics, crystal interface, diffusion, sponodal decomposition, martensitic transformation, ordering, solidification, recrystallization, continuous/discontinuous precipitations.

Course Topics

1. Metals of Engineering Importance: Crystal Structures, Approximate Costs, Relative Abundances in the Earth,
2. Densities.
   
3. Phase Equilibria and Phase Diagrams
   
4. Diffusion in the Solid State
   
5. Crystal Interfaces
   
6. Solidification
   
7. Nucleation in the Solid State
   
8. Precipitate and Growth Rates
   
9. Various Solid State Phase Transformations
   
10. Heat Treatments of Ferrous Alloys

Course Objectives

1. Learn the fundamental science of phase equilibria, phase diagrams, phase transformations and microstructural development in metallic systems.
   
2. Understand microstructures and how they arise from alloy chemistry and processing.

Course Outcomes

1. Be able to effectively use phase diagrams to understand equilibrium microstructure evolution during simple alloy processing.
   
2. Given photomicrograph, be able to describe how the microstructure developed, considering both thermodynamics and kinetics of phase transformations.
   
3. Given open-ended problems, be able to design processes to develop optimized solutions with thermodynamic and kinetic principles.

Assessment Tools

1. 10 to 15 home assignments with 30% on design questions that have no unique answers and will be open-ended.
   
2. 10 mini in-class quizzes.
   
3. 2 mid-term exams.
   
4. 1 final exam.