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Metallic Materials Technology

Study concept

On the basis of a Bachelor's degree in the field of an engineering degree programme with a focus on materials science or materials technology, the successful completion of the Master's degree programme should impart further specific knowledge in the field of materials processing, especially foundry technology and forming technology, or in the field of steel production and non-ferrous metallurgy, whereby business management knowledge and practical professional skills should be combined at university level. 

Students should be enabled to independently expand and implement existing knowledge through a scientific approach.

Please note that this is an English-language Master's degree programme. Applications for the summer semester are made online via the applicant portal and are possible from 1 July to 15 October.

 

Specializations

The focus is on the fundamentals of moulding materials and binders and the most important mould and core production processes for lost moulds and cores as well as the most important aspects of the metallurgy of ferrous and non-ferrous casting materials, melting furnaces and melt treatment and analysis processes. In addition, students are given an overview of modern production processes in foundries, the design of foundry surfaces, the post-treatment of castings and quality management.

 

This specialisation deals with the production technology of semi-finished metal products (such as sheets, strips, wires, tubes, etc.) using forming technologies (such as rolling, forging, drawing, etc.). The lectures cover all technological stages along the production path from the solidified preliminary product to the semi-finished product, their special features and their influence on the final properties of the product to be manufactured. The fundamentals of forming technology as well as technological process chains and their numerical simulation, including their interaction with material behaviour, are presented in detail.

The specialization offers students a fundamental and applied understanding of the partly directly and indirectly coupled/connected primary and secondary production (recycling) of non-ferrous metals. This includes the production of non-ferrous metals such as copper, nickel, aluminum, magnesium, titanium, tin, lead, and zinc, and the high-tech metals such as germanium, gallium, indium, rhenium and the rare earths (lanthanides, partly with the actinides) from primary and secondary resources, whereby valuable metals (such as silver, gold, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium) are also treated. For this purpose, pyro-, hydro- and electrometallurgical processes are required, which are described, presented, analyzed and evaluated both theoretically (including modeling and simulation) and experimentally. Specific selected examples of manufacturing and recycling include metals and metal scrap, batteries/accumulators, electrical and electronic waste (WEEE), metallurgical dusts and residues, and slags.

 

The specialisation focuses on fundamental concepts and new trends in the technology and production of ferrous materials. It includes the investigation of iron and steel production, primary and secondary metallurgy, casting, the cleaning of crude steel, the optimisation of manufacturing processes, material properties and structures and the evaluation of end products. Global trends such as decarbonisation, increasing energy efficiency and the circular economy are key topics in the lectures of this specialisation.

Faculty
Faculty of Materials Science and Technology (Faculty 5)
Degree
Master of Science (M. Sc.)
Standard period of study
4 Semester
Part-time possible
No
Start of studies
Winter semester
Summer semester
Admission requirement
  • Bachelor's degree with a focus on materials science or materials technology (at least 6 semesters) or an equivalent degree in the field of metallurgy, materials engineering, or another related discipline
  • A 12-week industrial internship is required. It is recommended to complete all or part of the internship before starting the degree program. However, missing internship periods can also be made up during the degree program, e.g. during the lecture-free period or until the topic of the Master's thesis is issued. The internship can be completed in various companies (materials engineering, materials science, metallurgy, or related fields). The certificates must show which activities were carried out
  • Qualification assessment procedure

Language skills:

  • English language skills (TOEFL at least 90 internet-based tests, IELTS at least 6.5 or equivalent language certificate) - this does not apply to applicants whose national language is English.
Course language
English
Professional advice
Dr. Dirk Renker
Haus Metallkunde
Gustav-Zeuner-Str. 5, 09599 Freiberg
Dirk.Renker [at] tu-freiberg.de
Central Student Advisory Service
Central Student Counselling Service
Prüferstr. 2, 3rd floor, room 3.405
studienberatung [at] tu-freiberg.de
Student Council
Student Representatives Faculty 5 (Materials Science and Technology)
Haus Formgebung, ground floor 121
Bernhard-von-Cotta-Str. 4
fsr5 [at] stura.tu-freiberg.de
Job opportunities
  • Iron and steel industry
  • Foundry industry
  • Moulding technology
  • Mechanical engineering
  • Refractories industry
  • Metal processing industry
  • Process development
  • Technical sales
  • Research facilities