Materials Science & Processing Training – Mastering Technical Foundations for Mechanical Engineers

Course Introduction

In modern industry, understanding materials and processing technology is a key factor enabling engineers to design and manufacture durable, efficient, and cost-effective products. The “Materials Science & Processing Training” course, taught directly by lecturers from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT – VNU-HCM), is the ideal choice for engineers, technical specialists, and students in mechanical engineering and materials science.

Training Objectives

  • Equip foundational knowledge of material structures, phase diagrams, physical-mechanical properties, and heat treatment processes.
  • Understand the structure-property-processing relationships to select appropriate materials.
  • Learn to read and analyze material drawings, technical standards, and heat treatment specifications.
  • Enhance the capability to evaluate and control material quality in manufacturing and mechanical machining.

Training Content

  • Theory: 48 periods – Covering topics from crystal structures and physico-mechanical properties to international standards.
  • Practice: 24 periods – Experiments determining mechanical properties, heat treatment of real samples, phase transformation analysis, material identification, etc.

Key Highlights

  • High-Quality Instructors: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hai – HCMUT, an expert in materials and heat treatment.
  • International Standard Curriculum: Applying materials from W.D. Callister, ASTM, ISO.
  • Integrated Hands-on Practice: Helping trainees master analysis and application skills.

Who Should Attend?

  • Mechanical, metallurgical, and materials engineers working in factories and manufacturing companies.
  • Engineering students looking to equip themselves with in-depth knowledge.
  • Professionals working in quality control (QC), technical design, and R&D for mechanical products.

List of Abbreviations

No.AbbreviationFull Name
1HCMUTHo Chi Minh City University of Technology
2VNUVietnam National University
3FCCFace Centered Cubic
4BCCBody Centered Cubic
5HCPHexagonal Close Packed
6Fe-CIron–Carbon
7HTHeat Treatment
8TTTTime Temperature Transformation
9CCTContinuous Cooling Transformation
10UTSUltimate Tensile Strength
11YSYield Strength
12Phy. PropPhysical Properties
13ASTMAmerican Society for Testing and Materials
14ISOInternational Organization for Standardization

Theory Training Curriculum

No.ContentDuration (periods)
1Overview of engineering materials and material classification4
2Crystal structure and lattice defects4
3Elastic deformation, plastic deformation, and mechanical property parameters4
4Material phases and Fe-C phase diagram4
5Phase transformation and crystallization process3
6Basics of heat treatment: Annealing, Normalizing, Quenching, Tempering2
7Surface hardening, material defects, and remedies3
8Steels: construction, tool, special steels; distinction from cast iron4
9Non-ferrous alloys: Aluminum, Copper, Titanium, and applications4
10Non-metallic materials: Composites, polymers, engineering ceramics4
11Material selection analysis in mechanical design2
12Material standards: ASTM, ISO, and corporate application2
13Material symbols in technical drawings2
14Theory Exam (40 multiple choice + 2 essay questions)4

Practical Training Curriculum

No.ContentDuration (periods)
1Determining crystal structure using models and simulation software2
2Identifying lattice defects: point, line, plane via real examples2
3Analyzing tensile diagrams – determining UTS, YS, and elongation2
4Drawing and reading Fe-C phase diagrams, analyzing phase transformations2
5Heat treatment of steel samples: Annealing, Quenching, Tempering, and property testing2
6Microstructure inspection before and after heat treatment2
7Practice distinguishing steel and cast iron via simple tests2
8Analyzing material defects after tensile, bending, and impact testing2
9Identifying and looking up material codes (ASTM, DIN, JIS…)2
10Material selection in specific design (group case study)2
11Practice identifying non-metallic materials via real samples2
12Comprehensive assessment – Group presentation and defense2

References

Main Textbooks:

  • W.D. Callister, Jr. – Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction, 9th Edition, Wiley, 2014.
  • Nghiem Hung – Materials Science Foundations, Science & Technics Publishing House, 2002.

Supplementary Materials:

  • Le Cong Duong – Materials Science, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, 1996.
  • Dang Vu Ngoan – Engineering Materials, VNU-HCM, 2006.
  • Dang Vu Ngoan – Experiments in Materials Science and Processing, VNU-HCM, 2003.
  • B.N. Arzamaxov – Materials Science, Education Publishing House, 2000.