Course detail

Metallic Materials

FCH-MC_KOV1Acad. year: 2025/2026

Ferrous metals, advantages and disadvantages of metallic materials, basic material characteristics, steel production. Non-ferrous metals and corrosion, non-ferrous metals overview, corrosion resistance vs. non-ferrous metals chemical reactivity, types of corrosion and corrosion protection. Metal bond and lattice - comparison of bond types, properties of metal bond, arrangement of atoms in crystal lattice, lattice defects, reinforcement by grain boundaries. State of matter, thermodynamics, kinetics, diffusion, phases - laws describing processes in metal materials, diffusion utilization, phase rule, character of crystalline structure. Equilibrium phase diagrams - dendrites, relationship between equilibrium diagrams and properties of alloys. Phase diagram of Fe-Fe3C - metastable Fe-Fe3C system, polymorphism, solid solutions, structural mixtures, influence of carbon content on mechanical properties of Fe-Fe3C. Heat and mechanical processing of metals - steel forging, methods of heat treatment of steel and cast iron, precipitation decay, austenitization, TTT diagrams, influence of alloys on steel properties. Basic types of steels and their marking - ČSN EN 10020 standard, accompanying and additive elements, carbide-forming, graphite-forming, austenite-forming and ferrite-forming elements, practical division of steels. Corrosion and surface treatments - material degradation, chemical reactivity vs corrosion resistance, Pourbaix diagram, electrochemical protection. Non-ferrous metals - Al, Cu, Zn, Mg, Ni, Ti, low-melting and high-melting metals, noble metals. Lecture from an expert in the field of metals - metals, surface treatments, technological processes, heat treatment, joining of metallic materials, etc. Examples from practical analyzes from contractual research conducted at the Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology. Repetition of the curriculum and discussion of the reason for the use and necessity of metallic materials.
Laboratory exercise: Introductory lesson, laboratory rules, safety at work, introduction to instruments. Tensile strength - determination of tensile strength of ferrous and non-ferrous alloys. Methods of sampling and preparation of samples for metallographic evaluation. Preparation of metallographic samples - grinding, polishing, etching. Light microscopy - observation of microstructure. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometer - observation of microstructure and determination of elemental composition. Mechanical properties - hardness. Determination of corrosion resistance and speed. Surface treatment of metallic materials. Electrochemistry - potentiodynamic curves. Heat treatment of metals - hardening, annealing. Free week to compensate for holidays or excused absence. Final exam. Presentation of results obtained during the whole practice.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

5

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

doc. Ing. Jaromír Wasserbauer, Ph.D.

Department

Institute of Materials Science (ÚCHM)

Entry knowledge

Knowledge of inorganic chemistry, structure of materials and physical chemistry.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

Credit will be awarded after submitting all protocols and passing the credit test.
The exam is oral after passing the credit and passing the placement test. The weight of the placement test is 10%, the credit rating is 40% and the oral examination weight is 50% of the total evaluation. Oral examination is possible only after passing the credit from laboratory exercises.
Part of the course is realized in the form of a lecture in which participation is voluntary.
In the laboratory part of the course 100% attendance is compulsory. The form and time of compensation in case of excusable absence (family death, medical restriction confirmed by the doctor, national representation, school representation, carrier failure confirmed by the carrier) are set by the teacher.

Aims

The target group are students focused on material chemistry. The aim of the course is to acquaint students with real structures of metallic materials in the context of already acquired chemical education. The secondary objective is then knowledge of the most important properties, the resulting predominant practical use and in industrial practice systematization of sorting of alloys based on iron and non-ferrous metals.
The aim of the laboratory exercise is to teach students to master basic metal sample preparation for observation of its structure, documentation and interpretation of results. Another goal is application of knowledge acquired in theoretical subjects in real experiments, especially confrontation of observed structure and phase diagrams, relation of structure and properties (mechanical, corrosion).
Successful graduates of the course will be able to:

1) Based on the chemical composition of the material, describe the phase structure, determine the chemical nature of the phases present in the given alloy,
2) Explain differences in the structure of the main types of steels and determine their basic utility properties (strength, corrosion resistance, weldability, hardenability) from their normative designation,
3) Describe the specifics of brass, bronze, duralumin and other non-ferrous metal alloys,
4) Describe the basic procedures in the research of metallic materials (metallography, analysis microscopy, corrosion tests, mechanical properties).

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

D. Vojtěch: Kovové materiály, VŠCHT, Praha 2006. (CS)
J. Wasserbauer, J. Tkacz, M. Březina: Praktikum z kovových materiálů, VUT, Brno 2017. (CS)
L. Ptáček a kol.: Nauka o Materiálu I,II. CERM, Brno 2003. (CS)
M. Hluchý, O. Modráček, R. Paňák: Strojírenská technologie 1, 2.díl Metalografie a tepelné zpracování. Sciantia, s.r.o., Praha 1999. (CS)
P. Fremunt, T. Podrábský: Konstrukční oceli. CERM, Brno 1996. (CS)
P. Kratochvíl, P. Lukáč, B. Sprušil: Úvod do fyziky kovů I. SNTL, Praha 1984. (CS)
W.D. Callister, Jr.: Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction. 5th ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2000. (CS)
Z. Jonšta: Nauka o kovech II. VŠB-TU, Ostrava 2000. (CS)

Recommended reading

Not applicable.

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme NPCP_CHTM Master's 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory
  • Programme NKCP_CHTM Master's 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Jaromír Wasserbauer, Ph.D.

Syllabus

Lectures:
1. Introduction - ferrous metals, advantages and disadvantages of metallic materials, basic material characteristics, steel production.
2. Introduction 2 - non-ferrous metals and corrosion, non-ferrous metals usage, corrosion resistance vs. corrosion chemical reactivity, types of corrosion and corrosion protection.
3. Metal bond and lattice - comparison of bond types, properties of metal bond, arrangement of atoms in crystal lattice, lattice defects, strengthening by grain boundaries.
4. State of matter, thermodynamics, kinetics, diffusion, phases - laws describing processes in metal materials, diffusion utilization, phase rule, character of crystalline structure.
5. Equilibrium phase diagrams - dendrites, relationship between equilibrium diagrams and properties of alloys.
6. Phase diagram of Fe-Fe3C - metastable Fe-Fe3C system, polymorphism, solid solutions, structural mixtures, influence of carbon content on mechanical properties of Fe-Fe3C.
7. Heat and mechanical processing of metals - steel forging, methods of heat treatment of steel and cast iron, precipitation decay, austenitization, TTT diagrams, influence of alloys on steel properties.
8. Basic types of steels and their marking - ČSN EN 10020 standard, accompanying and additive elements, carbide-forming, graphite-forming, austenite-forming and ferrite-forming elements, practical division of steels.
9. Corrosion and surface treatments - material degradation, chemical reactivity vs corrosion resistance, Pourbaix diagram, electrochemical protection.
10. Non-ferrous metals - Al, Cu, Zn, Mg, Ni, Ti, low-melting and high-melting metals, noble metals.
11. Lecture from a specialist in the field of metals - metals, surface treatment, technological processes, heat treatment, joining of metallic materials, etc.
12. Examples from practical analyzes from contractual researches conducted at the Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology.
13. Repetition of the curriculum and discussion on the reason for the use and necessity of metallic materials.

A Lab exercise:
1. Introductory lesson, laboratory rules, safety of work, familiarization with instruments.
2. Tensile strength - determination of tensile strength of ferrous and non-ferrous alloys
3. Methods of sampling and preparation of samples for metallographic evaluation.
4. Preparation of metallographic samples - grinding, polishing, etching.
5. Light microscopy - observation of microstructure.
6. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometer - observation of microstructure and determination of elemental composition.
7. Mechanical properties - hardness.
8. Determination of corrosion resistance and speed.
9. Surface treatment of metallic materials.
10. Electrochemistry - potentiodynamic curves.
11. Heat treatment of metals - hardening, annealing.
12. Free week to compensate for holidays or excused absence.
13. Final test. Presentation of results obtained during the whole practice.

Guided consultation in combined form of studies

26 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Jaromír Wasserbauer, Ph.D.

Laboratory exercise

52 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Jaromír Wasserbauer, Ph.D.