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Metallurgy is the study of the properties of metals and their use in industrial processes. It includes metal extraction, purification, and alloy production. The practice dates back 6,500 years and has evolved into two subtypes: process metallurgy and physical metallurgy. Metallurgical engineers use tests to determine a metal’s strength, and alloys are often used for industrial purposes.
In its modern and general sense, metallurgy is the science of studying the chemical and physical properties of metals, including their behavior when used for culturally useful industrial purposes. The term often refers to the procedures used in the extraction of metals from ore, as well as processes related to the purification of metals and the production of alloys. It also refers to the craft of making culturally useful objects out of metal or metalworking. The practice of metalworking has been carried out over thousands of centuries.
Evidence of this science and art dates back approximately 6,500 years. Copper, tin, silver, and meteoric iron, used by the Egyptians to make weapons, all underwent some form of metalworking process in various ancient cultures. The first evidence of a standard metallurgical technology appeared during the Bronze Age, which began around 3,500 BC, when it was discovered that by heating and combining copper and tin, a bronze alloy could be created. The Iron Age began around 1,200 BC when the Hittites discovered how to extract iron from ore and process it to further their cultural goals. Georg Agricola, considered the father of metallurgy, detailed ore and metal extraction procedures, as well as other aspects of science, in his 16th-century book, De re metallica.
Modern metallurgy is divided into two subtypes. Process metallurgy refers to the steps involved in producing metals, in most cases, from sulfides or oxides, and then refining them to their reduced form by electrolysis or selective oxidation of impurities. Physical metallurgy studies the structure of metals, based on their composition and treatment, and how this structure relates to their properties. It also deals with the scientific principles and engineering applications involved in the manufacture and treatments of metals and how metal products stand up to their industrial uses.
Metallurgical engineers use several forms of metal testing. This way, they can make quantified guesses about a metal’s strength. These tests are intended to determine properties such as metal hardness, impact strength, and tensile strength, to name a few.
In general, the elemental metals, in their pure native form, are too soft for industrial uses. That is why the science of metallurgy tends to focus on the production of alloys, where metals are combined with or with non-metals. Steel and cast irons are examples of iron-carbon alloys. Aluminum, copper, iron, magnesium and zinc are the most widely used metals, usually in their alloyed forms.
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