Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents the fundamental principles of physical metallurgy and the mechanisms by which processing can shape the microstructure and properties of metals and alloys. It aims to help the reader understand the structure of metals and what processes he can apply to modify structure in order to achieve certain properties. The book also helps the reader to understand the behavior of metals subjected to mechanical or thermomechanical loads. It also presents the basic principles of computational alloy and process design, which is an emerging and dynamic part of physical metallurgy. The book deals with the fundamental concepts of alloy design, an emerging part of materials science and engineering, which aims at the knowledge-based design of materials and processes. It also deals with the physical metallurgy of steels.