Education

Lehigh Valley ASM offered a Fall 2023 Metallurgy for the Non-Metallurgist Course in-person at Carpenter Technology’s Reading Facility. Please check back for future course dates.

The Lehigh Valley Chapter has held the following courses in the past: Practical Interpretation of Microstructures and Metallurgy for the Non-Metallurgists.
If you have questions about classes offered by the Lehigh Valley Chapter or would like suggest future topics, contact us at lehighvalleyasm@gmail.com.

PRACTICAL INTERPRETATION OF MICROSTRUCTURES

Practical interpretation of Microstructures is a “Hands-On” course. The microstructures, heat treatment and use of each group of alloys are presented in a lecture. The lecture is followed by viewing of actual structures on a projection screen. The features of the structures are pointed out and discussed. The students then examine the over 200 mounts at their microscope stations and compare them with an illustrated and annotated notebook of the structures. There are no required prerequisites, but the basic knowledge of sample preparation, heat treating or metallurgy will enhance the understanding of the presented material.

Students are encouraged to bring prepared metallographic specimens to the class for discussion.

Target Audience:

  • Metallographers
  • Technicians
  • Metallurgists and Engineers
  • Individuals who are required to interpret microstructures

Learning Objectives:  Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

    • Use proper terminology to describe microstructures
    • Correlate microstructures to heat treatment, mechanical properties and chemistry
    • Recognize martensite, austenite, bainite, ferrite in ferrous alloys
    • Determine manufacturing processes based on indications in the microstructure
    • Identify structures of non-ferrous alloys such as super alloys, titanium, copper and aluminum alloys
    • Understand imperfections and their cause
    • Tell preparation artifacts from actual structures

    Course Outline:

    1. Proper Terminology for Describing Microstructures
    2. Optimizing the Images on the Metallograph
    3. Iron/ Carbon Phase Diagram and TTT Diagram
    4. Structures of Carbon and Alloy Steels as Produced by Heat Treatments
    5. Structures of Stainless Steels and Heat Resisting Alloys
    6. Microstructures of Titanium and Its Alloys
    7. Structures of Aluminum Alloys, Cast and Wrought
    8. Microstructures of Copper-Based Alloys
    9. Common Failure Modes of Various Alloys

    Successful Completion of this ASMI MEI Course also includes the following:

    1. Three Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and a Certificate of Course Completion
    2. One year of free ASMI Membership

     

    METALLURGY FOR THE NON-METALLURGIST

    Metals and alloys are used in the greatest variety of applications of all engineering materials. As such, it is important, if not essential, for those involved in manufacturing, testing, engineering and construction to have an understanding of what metals are, how they behave, and why they are different than ceramics, glass, and plastics. It is also important to understand how metals can be made stronger or more corrosion resistant, how they can be processed into shapes by casting, forging, forming, machining, or welding, and how such processes can alter the properties of the metal or alloy in either favorable or unfavorable ways. This course provides this knowledge to those who, while not specialists in metals (i.e., metallurgists), would benefit from such an understanding.

    Target Audience:

    • Metal Processing or Testing Personnel, Manufacturing Supervisors, NDT Specialists, Heat Treating Operators and Managers
    • Sales, Marketing, Commercial, Financial, Engineering, Operations Planning, IT, and other individuals without a materials background who want to better understand the role of materials science in the performance of their job responsibilities and career paths

    Learning Objectives:  Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

    • Describe how and why metals behave the way they do and how they can be formed.
    • Recognize how metals can be strengthened by alloying, cold-working, and heat treatment.
    • Determine why metals and alloys don’t always behave as expected and how they can be made to behave as-needed. Determine what metal or alloy can be used for a specific combination of properties.

    Course Outline:

    1. Metals: History of the discovery of the major commercially important metals; the first primitive refining techniques; brief descriptions of cultural significance of metals.
    2. Extractive Metallurgy: Techniques used to extract metals from mineral ores, including hydrometallurgical, pyrometallurgical, and electrometallurgical techniques.
    3. Solidification of Metals: Introduction to the science of metallurgy, including crystal structure; concepts of solidification and solid solubility; basic binary phase diagrams.
    4. Metal Forming: Forging, rolling, extrusion, swaging, and other techniques employed to form metals at elevated temperatures; rolling, stamping, coining, spinning, and other techniques used to form metals at ambient temperatures.
    5. Mechanical Properties and Their Measurement: Definitions of mechanical properties and explanations of testing procedures; introduction to concepts of standardization and quality control.
    6. Steels and Cast Irons – Applications and Metallurgy: Description of the allotropic nature of iron and its effect on the properties of steels and cast irons; listing of selected applications of steels and cast irons.
    7. Heat Treatment of Steel: Hardness and hardenability of steel; specific processes and their applications; heat treating procedures, equipment, quenchants, and hardness measurements.
    8. Case Hardening of Steel: Techniques used to harden the case of a metal, including carburizing, nitriding, carbo-nitriding; procedure for measuring case depth.
    9. Strengthening Mechanisms: Techniques used to harden the nonferrous metals, including age hardening, strain hardening and related metallurgical concepts for aluminum, titanium, copper, and other nonferrous metals.
    10. Nonferrous Metals: Industrial Applications and Properties: Light metals, aluminum, beryllium, magnesium, and titanium; copper and its alloys; lead, tin, and zinc; precious metals.
    11. Joining: Techniques of welding, brazing, and soldering, including descriptions of specific applications of each process described.
    12. Corrosion and Corrosion Prevention: Causes of corrosion and the environmental factors which contribute to it; types of corrosion are discussed, together with techniques for minimizing it.
    13. Quality Control and Failure Analysis: Procedures for predicting and/or evaluating the performance of metals in service.
    14. Materials Characterization and the Selection Process: Explanation of the designation systems for classes of metals and alloys in worldwide use today; descriptions of factors which affect the selection of a material for a particular application; brief comparison of polymers and ceramics related to metals; case studies of material selection problems.

    Successful Completion of this ASMI MEI Course also includes the following:

    1. Three Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and a Certificate of Course Completion
    2. One year of free ASMI Membership

     

    Additional educational opportunities are available through ASM International and can be found here. http://www.asminternational.org/learning/courses