Metallurgy for Non-Metallurgists
علم المعادن لغير المختصين
- Next date
- Available in-house
- Fees from
- —per delegate
- Formats
- In-house training0 sessions
- Duration
- 5 daysCertificate
Overview
Engineers, inspectors and technicians in oil, gas, petrochemical and power facilities make daily decisions about materials, welding, heat treatment, corrosion and failures, often without formal training in metallurgy. Selecting the wrong material, misunderstanding the effect of welding or heat treatment, or misreading a failure can lead to cracking, leaks and costly incidents. A practical understanding of how metals are structured, how they behave under stress and temperature, and how they degrade in service helps professionals communicate with specialists and make better decisions.
This course introduces the essential principles of metallurgy in clear and practical terms for non-specialists. Participants learn the structure of metals, crystal structures and phases, iron-carbon diagrams and the main families of steels, stainless steels and non-ferrous alloys used in industry. The course covers mechanical properties and testing, heat treatment processes, the metallurgy of welding and the heat-affected zone, and the selection of materials for different services. It also explains corrosion mechanisms, environmental cracking, high-temperature degradation, brittle fracture and fatigue, failure analysis methods and the interpretation of material certificates and specifications.
Objectives
- Explain the structure of metals, crystal structures and phases
- Use the iron-carbon diagram to understand steel microstructures
- Describe carbon steels, alloy steels, stainless steels and non-ferrous alloys
- Interpret mechanical properties, test results and material certificates
- Understand heat treatment processes and the metallurgy of welding
- Recognise corrosion, cracking, high-temperature damage and fracture mechanisms
- Apply basic failure analysis and select materials for common services
Who should attend
Mechanical, inspection, maintenance and process engineers, inspectors, welding supervisors, QA/QC staff and procurement personnel without a metallurgy background.
Training methodology
The course uses clear explanations, micrographs, photographs of failed components and real material certificates to make metallurgy accessible to non-specialists. Participants interpret iron-carbon diagrams and microstructures, read mill test certificates and material specifications, compare test results with requirements, and identify failure mechanisms from fracture surfaces and photographs. Simple exercises link heat treatment and welding parameters to hardness and toughness. Case studies of failures in refineries and gas plants are analysed in groups to identify root causes and lessons. Each day ends with a short quiz and discussion.
Programme outline
Day1Structure and Properties of Metals
- Why metallurgy matters for engineers, inspectors and technicians in the energy industry
- Atomic structure, crystal structures, grains and grain boundaries in metals
- Phases, alloying and how small additions of elements change metal behaviour
- Mechanical properties such as strength, ductility, hardness and toughness explained in simple terms
- Tensile, hardness, impact and bend tests and how to interpret their results
- Mill test certificates, material specifications and the traceability of materials
- Practical exercise: reading mill test certificates and comparing results with specifications
Day2Steels and Other Engineering Alloys
- The iron-carbon diagram and the formation of ferrite, pearlite, austenite and martensite
- Carbon steels and low alloy steels and their typical uses in pressure equipment
- Chromium-molybdenum steels and their use for high-temperature and hydrogen service in refineries
- Stainless steels: austenitic, ferritic, martensitic and duplex grades and their properties
- Nickel alloys, copper alloys, aluminium and titanium in industrial applications
- Material selection principles that balance strength, temperature limits, corrosion resistance and cost
- Practical exercise: selecting materials for a set of refinery and gas plant services
Day3Heat Treatment and Welding Metallurgy
- Annealing, normalising, quenching and tempering and their effect on microstructure
- Hardenability and the effect of cooling rate on hardness and toughness
- Welding metallurgy, including the fusion zone, heat-affected zone and residual stresses in welds
- Preheat, interpass temperature and post-weld heat treatment and their purposes
- Hydrogen cracking, hot cracking and other weld defects with metallurgical causes
- Hardness limits for sour service and the control of hard zones in welds
- Practical exercise: linking welding and heat treatment parameters to weld properties
Day4Corrosion and Environmental Cracking
- Electrochemical principles of corrosion and the role of the environment
- Forms of corrosion: general, pitting, crevice, galvanic and microbiologically influenced
- Stress corrosion cracking in chloride, caustic and amine environments found in process plants
- Sulfide stress cracking and hydrogen-induced cracking of steels in sour service conditions
- Sensitisation of stainless steels during welding and the resulting intergranular corrosion in service
- Corrosion control through material selection, coatings, inhibitors and cathodic protection
- Practical exercise: identifying corrosion mechanisms from photographs and service conditions
Day5High-Temperature Damage, Fracture and Failure Analysis
- Creep, oxidation, carburisation and other forms of high-temperature degradation in heaters and reactors
- High-temperature hydrogen attack and the use of Nelson curves for material limits
- Brittle fracture, ductile fracture and the importance of toughness at low temperatures
- Fatigue, thermal fatigue and the appearance of fatigue fracture surfaces
- Failure analysis methods: visual examination, metallography, hardness and chemical analysis
- Group exercise: investigating a component failure and identifying the root cause
- Final assessment and discussion of material issues at participants' own plants
Dates and fees
There are no scheduled dates for this course at the moment. Request it as in-house training, or ask us about the next date.
Certificate
Every delegate who attends the full programme receives a Harfard Technology certificate of completion stating the course title, duration, dates and venue.
Frequently asked questions
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