THE SCIENCE OF METALLURGY AND ITS APPLICATIONS

Metallurgy is an important resource to many industrial and scientific processes. As the scientific processes of investigating the properties of different minerals as the basis of their production, purification, or utilization, metallurgy benefits mining, agricultural, geological, industrial and engineering industries. Whether the client is a government agency, a private contractor, a business organization, or an individual looking to ascertain the existence and properties of a certain mineral, metallurgy offers concrete answers. The metallurgical processes commonly apply to the following metals:

  1. Iron ore – The development of process flow sheets for an industrial or private client base interested in magnetite, hematite, titanomagnetite and other complex iron ores is one of the most common applications of metallurgy in mining. Concerning iron ore, metallurgists offer services such as sample selection, ore mineralogy and characterization, as well as feasibility studies.
  2. Base metals – These include nickel, zinc, copper, and lead. Metallurgy processes offer feasibility and process optimization solutions to operations involving the sulphide and oxide base metals for mineral companies, geological organizations, and government agencies' allies to mining operations.   
  3. Gold and other precious metals – Metallurgical studies ascertain the mineralogy of alluvial, ore-based, and sulphide-based gold, benefiting many mining consortiums, private organization, and government agencies. Additionally, metallurgy offers electronic companies involved in engineering investigation to work with additional information regarding the electronic characteristics of different gold batches. Financial organizations and government treasuries looking to ascertain the mineralogy of mint-quality silver turn to metallurgists for assistance.
  4. Uranium and rare earth minerals –The ability of mining companies, military organization, and government agencies to investigate complex minerals such as uranium and niobium rests almost entirely on metallurgy. Other than the mineralogy characteristics of these minerals, feasibility and ore quality studies depend on this science.
  5. Industrial minerals – These include graphite, tin, zirconium, and tungsten whose mining and production depends on metallurgical studies on their ores.

Besides mining applications, metallurgy benefits offer other industries with a better understanding of the metallic structure of various metallic components. The aviation industry relies on metallurgy to ascertain the probability of mechanical failure on crucial aircraft mechanical parts. Additionally, forensic metallurgists investigate the causes of both aviation and automobile accidents by analysing various metal parts comprised in the evidence.

Metallurgy also provides an industrial application to manufacturers of specialized metal parts seeking to ascertain the integrity of welded seams, components, and joints. Using inverted and scanning electron microscopes, metallurgists, like those at AMAT Materials Engineering Pty Ltd, carry out engineering investigation on these components in order to establish the probability of metal fatigue, stress, cracks, and corrosive weakening.

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