Introduction to Metallurgy

Name: Introduction to Metallurgy
Rating: 4.5 (747 reviews)

A starting point for understanding metals – how they are made and their mechanical properties

Created byRay Harkins, The Manufacturing Academy, Garry Pace

Last updated 4/2026

English

What you'll learn

What is Metallurgy
A Brief History of Metals
Physical Metallurgy
The Periodic Table
Material Test Reports
Mechanical Properties of Metals
What is Alloying
How Steel is Made

Course content

1 section • 21 lectures • 3h 1m total length

Introduction to the Course6:25
Introduction to the Instructor1:03
What is Metallurgy?, Pt 18:51
What is Metallurgy?, Pt 28:46
Downloadable Resources3:27
Download two resources: a periodic table of elements and a glossary of terms, attached to this video, to reference iron, carbon, alloying elements, nondestructive testing, welding, and heat treating.
The History of Metals, Pt 112:05
The History of Metals, Pt 27:46
Trace the iron age to carbon steel as iron oxide with charcoal becomes bloom, slag is removed, and carbon infusion hardens iron into wrought iron and edge-holding material.
The History of Metals, Pt 38:34
Physical Metallurgy, Pt 19:26
Determine what physical metallurgy covers—from solidified alloys to end use—by examining mechanical, electrical, thermal, chemical, and magnetic properties driven by atomic structure and phase transformations.
Physical Metallurgy, Pt 26:13
Understand density and heat transfer rates in material design, then explore thermal expansion, melting point, corrosion resistance, and key processing properties like castability, weldability, machinability, and formability.
The Periodic Table13:27
Material Test Reports7:46
Crystal Structures12:30
Crystal Structures & Heat Treatment – MCQs
Mechanical Properties12:50
Examine mechanical properties of metals, including hardness, strength, ductility, elasticity, fatigue, and creep strength, and how bend tests and hardness scales reveal weldability and tensile and carbon-related effects.
Hardness Testing7:30
Impact Strength11:43
How Steel is Made9:49
Trace how iron ore becomes steel: blast furnace produces pig iron, then basic oxygen or electric arc furnaces refine carbon and impurities, with scrap iron and alloying shaping final steel.
Alloying9:51
Reference Materials5:48
Explore two attached reference pdfs on metallurgy and heat treatment that cover definitions, microstructures, phase diagrams, and heat-treat concepts like quenching and tempering to advance your understanding.
Conclusion to the Course1:38
Bonus Lecture16:04

Requirements

Some understanding of manufacturing
Some understanding of chemistry

Description

Metallurgy is a major topic within material science that deals with the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements and their mixtures known as alloys. And this science of metallurgy that was birthed before the Bronze Age now extends into every sector of consumer and industrial products and structures. From the International Space Station to automobiles and airplanes ... from iPads to sky-scrapers ... nearly every product imaginable rests upon a foundation of metallurgy.

As a result, all sorts of manufacturing professionals -- quality and process engineers, supply chain professionals, production managers and more -- can benefit from understanding the basics of metallurgy. But for most of these professionals, metallurgy feels unapproachable. Its scientific concepts and terminology sounds foreign and complex, and few professional metallurgists take the time to explain the concepts to the outside world.

That is why we created this course, Introduction to Metallurgy. In it, you will learn a wide range of the fundamental concepts of this critical science. But don't worry ... we step through every concepts to help your learning process. In this course, we will cover:

What is Metallurgy
A Brief History of Metals
Physical Metallurgy
Mechanical Properties
How Steel is Made?
Crystal Structures
Alloying
And MUCH MORE!!

Plus, read what other students have said about Introduction to Metallurgy:

"Excellent beginner launch point for Metallurgy, especially for the price." - Mark M.

"Greatly appreciated Ray and Garry's explanations of a topic I struggled with during my BSME curriculum. I would agree that the vocabulary was a barrier to me the first time around, and so the effort to explain these terms and provide a glossary was helpful." - Michael R.

"Great course! I am a new metallurgical lab tech and this course taught me a lot." - Lee B.

"Both instructors seem passionate about this course. The lectures were easy to understand and very relevant to the field that I am in." - Ojinga B.

"A good high level overview of metallurgy." - Brent M.

"This was a very good introduction to the basics of metallurgy. This provided good insight for practical application." - Brad A.

This class is designed for quality, manufacturing, engineering and supply chain professionals looking to expand their skill set into this important field of study. "An Introduction to Metallurgy" will give you a foundational understanding of these key ideas and prepare you for more advanced training.

While an advanced understanding of chemistry and engineering is required to become a professional metallurgist, only a basic understanding of manufacturing is required to get started in this class.

Sign up today to begin your journey into the field of metallurgy!!

Who this course is for:

Quality Engineers, Manufacturing Engineers, Process Engineers, Supply Chain Professionals
Production Supervisors, Materials Engineers, Metallurgical Lab Technicians, Quality Technicians
Engineering Technicians, Industrial Engineers, Maintenance Engineers, Procurement Specialists
Mechanical Engineering Students, Technical Managers in manufacturing or fabrication environments