Metals and Alloys: Microstructures and Transformations

This lecture delves into the properties of metals and alloys, focusing on the microstructures and transformations they undergo. Starting with the reduction of iron oxides using carbon, it explores the Ellingham diagram, TTT diagrams, and continuous cooling transformation diagrams. The lecture covers the production of microstructures through various heat treatments, such as quenching, and the interpretation of iron-carbon phase diagrams. It also discusses the energy and carbon footprints of materials, the extraction of copper, and the forming processes of aluminum. Emphasis is placed on the microsegregation phenomenon, the maturation linked to capillarity, and the types of precipitates that can form in alloys.