| Previous | Next | Contents | Search | UA |
Professor Ramana G. Reddy, Interim Department Head
Office: A-129 Bevill Bldg.
The department offers programs leading to the master of science in metallurgical engineering degree and to the doctor of philosophy degree in the area of materials/metallurgical engineering. An interdisciplinary Ph.D. degree in materials science is also offered (see the section "Interdisciplinary Programs" in this catalog). The graduate program in metallurgical and materials engineering allows for close association between graduate students and the faculty.
Research interests of the department include computer modeling of solidification and other metallurgical processes, thermodynamics and kinetics of molten metal processes, chemical metallurgy, metal-casting, corrosion phenomena, electrodynamics of molten metals, metal matrix composites, thin-film technology, tribology, magnetic materials, microgravity effects in solidification, modeling microstructural evolution, and micromechanical behavior in cast materials, fracture mechanics, refractories, molten salts, and phase equilibria. Facilities are available for directional and high-speed solidification, levitation melting, sputtering and chemical vapor-deposition, optical and electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, corrosion, nanoindentation, and electrochemistry. A metal-casting facility is equipped with up-to-date metal melting and casting equipment and is one of the finest facilities in the United States for teaching, research, and service to the metal-casting and processing industry. Well-qualified machinists are available for construction of highly specialized research equipment.
Computational facilities are comprehensive, ranging from workstations, minicomputers, and PC units with associated data-acquisition peripherals to access the campus mainframe equipment.
Admission requirements are outlined in the "Academic Policies" section of this catalog.
Master of science departmental degree requirements. Plan I is the standard M.S. degree plan. However, in exceptional cases, a student who has the approval of his or her supervisory committee may follow Plan II. A student who believes there are valid reasons for using Plan II must submit a written request detailing these reasons to the department head no later than midterm of the first semester in residence.
All graduate students, during the first part and the last part of their programs, will be required to satisfactorily complete MTE 595 Seminar (first part) and MTE 596 Seminar (last part). This hour of required credit is in addition to the other degree requirements.
Doctor of philosophy departmental degree requirements. The program for the degree of doctor of philosophy in the area of materials/metallurgical engineering is conducted jointly with The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). This arrangement permits sharing of facilities, exchange of faculty, joint seminars, and a wide choice of dissertation advisers. The Ph.D. degree in the area of materials science is also offered, in collaboration with UAB and The University of Alabama in Huntsville. Full details of this program may be found in this catalog in the section "Interdisciplinary Programs."
MTE 417 Casting of Iron-Base Alloys. (2-3) Three hours.
Prerequisite: MTE 416.
Advanced study of application of fundamental sciences to processing, microstructure evolution, and properties of iron-base alloys. Physico-chemistry of liquid metal as applied to melting and refining. Solidification science and thermodynamics of iron-carbon alloys. Processing microstructure-properties correlation in steel and cast iron.
MTE 418 Advanced Casting of Non-Ferrous Alloys. (2-3) Three hours.
Prerequisites: MTE 416.
Advanced study of application of fundamental sciences to processing, microstructure formation, and properties of advanced nonferrous alloys. Thermodynamics of melting and refining. Solidification processing of nonferrous alloys including aluminum, aluminum-lithium, titanium, superalloys, and magnesium. Processing-microstructure-properties correlation in nonferrous alloys.
MTE 439 Metallurgy of Welding. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: MTE 243.
Corequisite: MTE 373.
Thermal, chemical, and mechanical aspects of welding using fusion welding process. The metallurgical aspects of welding, including microstructure and properties of the weld, are also covered.
MTE 441 Chemical Metallurgy. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: MTE 353 and MTE 362.
Application of thermodynamics, fluid flow, and heat and mass transfer to the design and operation of chemical metallurgical processes; roasting, agglomerating, oxidation and reduction reactions, smelting, converting, and refining.
MTE 442 Magnetic Recording Media. (3-0) Three hours. Same as ECE 442.
Prerequisite: ECE 341 or MTE 271.
For description, see ECE 442.
MTE 445 Materials Design Project. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: MTE 495.
Corequisite: MTE 441.
A senior Capstone design experience that involves conduct of study and preparing a proposal, verbal and written presentations.
MTE 449 Powder Metallurgy. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: MTE 353 and MTE 474.
Describing the various types of powder processing and how these affect properties of the components made. Current issues in the subject area, from high-production to nanomaterials, will be discussed.
MTE 455 Mechanical Behavior of Materials. (3-0) Three hours. Same as AEM 455.
Prerequisite: AEM 250.
Flow and fracture of solids; uniaxial stress-strain as a reference behavior; theories of terminal instability under impact, monotonic, sustained (creep) and repeated (fatigue) loadings of solids under various states of stress.
MTE 476 Physical Ceramics. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: MTE 271.
Topics include ceramic raw materials, refractories, processing, and advanced
ceramics.
MTE 481 Analytical Methods for Materials. (3-3) Three hours.
Prerequisite: MTE 373.
Introduction to methods of X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and surface analysis.
MTE 487 Corrosion Science and Engineering. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: CH 102 or permission of the instructor.
Fundamental causes of corrosion problems and failures. Emphasis is placed on tools and knowledge necessary for predicting corrosion, measuring corrosion rates, and combining this with prevention and materials selection.
MTE 491:492 Special Problems (Area). One to three hours.
Assigned individual problem. Credit awarded is based on the amount of work undertaken.
MTE 495:496 Seminar. (1-0) One hour (each semester).
Phases of metallurgical engineering not included in other courses are reviewed. Specialized topics are presented by visiting lecturers. Abstracts and projects are prepared and presented by students.
MTE 519 Solidification Science. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: MTE 363 and MTE 373, MTE 353, or permission of the instructor.
Thermodynamics of solidification, atomic scale phenomena (nucleation and growth), microscale phenomena (interface dynamics and formation of microstructure), and macroscale phenomena (macro-mass and heat transfer and formation of macrostructure).
MTE 520 Solidification Processing of Eutectic Alloys. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: MTE 519.
Thermodynamics of the liquid-solid transformation in alloys; growth of normal and anomalous eutectics; thermodynamics of iron-carbon and related phase diagrams; solidification and properties of cast iron; preconditioning and liquid treatment of cast iron melts; solidification and properties of aluminum-silicon alloys; and solidification and properties of in-situ composites.
MTE 539 Metallurgy of Welding. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: MTE 243 or permission of the instructor.
Corequisite: MTE 373.
Thermal, chemical, and mechanical aspects of welding using fusion welding process. The metallurgical aspects of welding, including microstructure and properties of the weld, are also covered. Various topics on recent trends in welding research.
MTE 542 Magnetic Recording Media. (3-0) Three hours. Same as ECE 542.
Prerequisite: ECE 341 or MTE 271.
For description, see ECE 542.
MTE 546 Macroscopic Transport in Materials Processing. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: MTE 353.
Elements of laminar and turbulent flow; heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation; and mass transfer in laminar and in turbulent flow. Mathematical modeling of transport phenomena in metallurgical systems, including melting and refining processes, solidification processes, packed bed systems, and fluidized bed systems.
MTE 549 Powder Metallurgy. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: MTE 353 and MTE 373.
Describing the various types of powder processing and how these affect properties of the components made. Current issues in the subject area, from high-production to nanomaterials, will be discussed.
MTE 556 Strengthening Mechanisms in Materials. (3-0) Three hours. Same as AEM 556.
Prerequisite: MTE/AEM 455.
Topics include elementary elasticity, plasticity, and dislocation theory; strengthening by dislocation substructure, and solid solution strengthening; precipitation and dispersion strengthening; fiber reinforcement; martensitic strengthening; grain size strengthening; order hardening; dual phase microstructures, etc.
MTE 562 Metallurgical Thermodynamics. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: MTE 362.
Laws of thermodynamics, equilibria, chemical potentials and equilibria in heterogeneous systems, activity functions, chemical reactions, phase diagrams, and electrochemical equilibria; thermodynamic models and computations; and application to metallurgical processes.
MTE 574 Phase Transformation in Solids. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisites: MTE 373 and MTE 562.
Topics include applied thermodynamics, nucleation theory, diffusional growth, and precipitation.
MTE 579 Advanced Physics of Metals. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: MTE 373.
Graduate-level treatments of the fundamentals of symmetry, crystallography, crystal structures, defects in crystals (including dislocation theory), and atomic diffusion.
MTE 580 Advanced Phase Diagrams. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.
Advanced phase studies of binary, ternary, and more complex systems and experimental methods of construction and interpretation.
MTE 583 Advanced Structure of Metals. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.
The use of X-ray analysis for the study of single crystals and deformation texture of polycrystalline materials.
MTE 585 Materials at Elevated Temperatures. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.
Influence of temperature on behavior and properties of materials.
MTE 587 Corrosion Science and Engineering. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: CH 102 or permission of the instructor.
Fundamental causes of corrosion problems and failures. Emphasis is placed on tools and knowledge necessary for predicting corrosion, measuring corrosion rates, and combining this with prevention and materials selection.
MTE 591:592 Special Problems (Area). One to three hours.
Advanced work of an investigative nature. Credit awarded is based on the work accomplished.
MTE 595:596 Seminar. (1-0) One hour total credit.
Discussion of current advances and research in metallurgical engineering; presented by graduate students and the staff.
MTE 598 Research Not Related to Thesis. One to six hours.
MTE 599 Master's Thesis Research. One to twelve hours. Pass/fail.
MTE 622 Advanced Solidification Science and Processing. (3-0) Three hours.
Prerequisite: MTE 519.
Advances in solidification processing (skull melting, continuous casting, pressure-assisted casting, semisolid casting, spray casting), advanced casting materials (superalloys; aluminum-lithium, magnesium, and titanium alloys; intermetallics; metal matrix composites), issues in solidification science, and modeling of solidification.
MTE 643 Magnetic Recording. (3-0) Three hours. Same as ECE 643.
Prerequisite: ECE 341 or MTE 271.
For description, see ECE 643.
MTE 644 Optical Data Storage. (3-0) Three hours. Same as MTE 644.
Prerequisite: ECE 341 or MTE 271.
For description, see ECE 644.
MTE 655 Electron Microscopy of Materials. (3-3) Four hours.
Prerequisite: MTE 481, BSC 656 or permission of the instructor.
Topics include basic principles of operation of the transmission electron microscope; principles of electron diffraction; image interpretation; and various analytical electron-microscopy techniques as they apply to crystalline materials.
MTE 693 Selected Topics (Area). One to three hours.
Topics of current research in computer modeling of solidification, electrodynamics of molten metals, corrosion phenomena, microstructural evolution, and specialized alloy systems.
MTE 694 Special Project. Two to six hours.
Proposing, planning, executing, and presenting the results of an individual project.
MTE 695:696 Seminar. (1-0) One hour total credit.
Presentations on dissertation-related research or on items of current interest in materials and metallurgical engineering.
MTE 698 Research Not Related to Dissertation. One to six hours.
MTE 699 Doctoral Dissertation Research. Three to twelve hours.
| Top | Previous | Next | Contents | Search | UA |