25 / 54
A D V A N C E D
M A T E R I A L S
&
P R O C E S S E S | J A N U A R Y
2 0 1 7
2 5
Here, we highlight the subjects and
topics presented in this symposium’s
second edition at MS&T16, which again
covered a broad range of related topics
to provide perspective on the drivers
behind historical metallurgy develop-
ment. Six invited speakers presented
on topics ranging from the Bessemer
process development to the history of
very large forging presses, the latest
developments in high temperature mi-
croscopy to the implementation of fine-
grain practice in steel manufacturing,
and from the fundamental understand-
ing of near-equilibrium phase transfor-
mations to the mechanisms behind em-
brittlement in quenched and tempered
steels. Recommended reading on each
topic is listed in the references section.
T
he historical and technological
developments that have driven
metallurgy as a science provide
a fundamental understanding of metals
processing. This enables manufactur-
ers to produce advanced materials and
components that allow designers to push
technical and scientific innovation across
industries. Knowledge of the past ensures
that both current and futuremetallurgists
understand the significance of technolo-
gies developed to reach the capabilities
we have today, and reveals the areas of
need for fundamental understanding and
technology development moving into
the future. Armed with this knowledge,
the next generation of metallurgists and
materials scientists can once again rev-
olutionize metals manufacturing and
improve the quality of life for people
around the world.
To highlight some perspectives
from significant advancements in met-
allurgy, an invitation-only symposium
was organized at the Materials Sci-
ence & Technology 2016 conference
in Salt Lake City on October 24. Entitled
“Ferrous Metallurgy: Past to Present,”
it was the second time this symposium
has been organized, with the first tak-
ing place at MS&T14 in Pittsburgh. The
goal of each symposium is to showcase
important developments in metallurgy
and the effects they have had on manu-
facturing and society.
The first symposium brought to-
gether discussions on noteworthy his-
torical aspects of ferrous metallurgy to
remind us of the excellent work that
has been done in the past and high-
light the technological challenges to
be overcome. Presentations focused
on metallurgical eras ranging from cast
iron smelting in the 8th century BC to
the present day, and topics ranging
from better understanding of micro-
structure-property relationships as
characterization techniques improve
to the development of science-based
understanding of materials. In addition,
significant industrial challenges such as
understanding embrittlement in large
ingot production, manufacture of plate
armor at the end of the 19th century,
and North American industrial devel-
opment were addressed. Each speak-
er provided a valuable perspective on
where we are today, how we got here,
and where we need to go in the future.
FERROUSMETALLURGY: PAST, PRESENT,
AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
Significant advancements inmetallurgy were highlighted at a special symposiumpresented
at the Materials Science & Technology 2016 conference recently held in Salt Lake City
.
Kester D. Clarke, Colorado School of Mines, Golden
Bessemer converter, Kelham Island Museum, Sheffield, England.