Thermochemical Processing

Catalog description

Physico-chemical aspects of high temperature extraction and processing of metals and alloys. Design and evaluation of processes and process options. MATSE 422 MATSE 422 Thermochemical Processing (3) An important goal of materials engineering is to efficiently produce metals and alloys of specific composition. Familiar examples include the tonnage production of metals and alloys, the production of ultra high purity electronic materials such as silicon and germanium, and the deposition of thin films for various applications. In this course the students get an understanding of the physical and chemical principles underlying these operations and how these principles are applied in industrial practice. The students get ample opportunities to apply thermodynamics, kinetics, and transport phenomena to understand why the processes currently in use work. Furthermore, they learn how to marshal information for the design of projected new processes and process options. Broadly stated, the topics include solid-state reactions, production of liquid metals, and processing, all carried out at high temperatures. The topics are covered in a set of lecture notes available from the instructor. The lectures are accompanied by about fifteen problems sets in the form of home work and class work so that the students experience first-hand how the principles of thermodynamics and rate processes are applied in solving important problems in thermochemical processing.