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Metallurgical Engineering
Metallurgical engineering is problem solving or development of products using the engineering disciplines of materials science and metallurgy. If metallurgy is the development and production of metallic components, then a simple explanation of metallurgical engineering is optimizing the metallic elements and compounds for a specific function. Metals or metallic compounds are seen in everyday applications like vehicles, jewelry or a tube of toothpaste. The material used in the tube of toothpaste is likely not the same material used in a vehicle or a necklace - each application requires different metallurgical properties to enable that product to be marketable. The development and advancement of metallurgical engineering in the latest century has enabled us to build bridges that hold unimaginable weight, aircrafts that are lightweight while still being extremely powerful, and engine parts that are more durable and can withstand very high temperatures.
Common metals that are studied and experimented with in metallurgical engineering are aluminum, copper, nickel and titanium. Mixing these metallic elements with other metallic compounds create alloys, each which have distinct characteristics. Often, engineers call upon metallurgical engineers to develop or find a specific alloy that will satisfy a list of design criteria that needs to be met for a component. These measurable characteristics are cost, weight, strength, hardness, and fatigue resistance to name a few. Another important feature of an alloy that metallurgical engineering specialists are interested in is the maximum temperature the alloy can handle and its performance at that temperature.
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