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Though not pursued too often, metallurgical engineering is one of the popular engineering courses in which metal related areas are discussed. This stream has several employment opportunities in India. The following article takes a quick look at the same. Engineering is a vast field that encompasses several branches. From mechanical to civil, from electrical to software one can choose from any one of their favourite disciplines. A domain of materials science, metallurgy deals with the chemical and physical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds as well as mixtures known as alloys. Metallurgy comprises the technology of metals. Studied as a subset of materials science within a mechanical engineering degree, metallurgy is largely distinguishable from the art of metalworking. Originally an alchemist’s term, metallurgy was extended to the scientific study of metals and alloys. Before the field of metallurgical engineering came into existence, the first evidence of human metallurgy can be traced back to the 5th and 6th millennium BC in the archaeological sites of present day Serbia. Developments in ferrous metallurgy can be found in civilizations ranging from Middle East to Carthage as well as ancient China and Japan. With the passage of time as society evolved and education took a strong foothold, metallurgical engineering was recognized as a discipline of engineering. Now, an established field in its own sense, the tree major branches of the discipline is physical metallurgy, extractive metallurgy and mineral processing. Physical metallurgy deals with problem solving; extractive metallurgy involves extracting metal from ore whereas mineral processing involves gathering products from the earth’s crust. SCOPE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES If one plans to pursue a degree in metallurgical engineering, he or she will get to learn all the fundamentals of these three fields as well as the basics of engineering. Metals make up an important part of our lives. From cars to airplanes to even day-to-day stuff like toothpaste, pen and the like, everything has an important role to play in our lives. This shows the importance of metal in our lives. Most programs in metallurgical engineering offer the opportunity to participate in educational programs. Millions of young Indians graduate every year with a degree in engineering. Metallurgical engineering has gained a major impetus in India in the recent past. However, the formal study of metallurgical engineering in India dates back to 1923, when a graduate program in metallurgical engineering was started by Banaras Hindu University (BHU). The setting up of the first steel plant in India by JN Tata in 1907 had necessitated the study of metallurgical engineering in the country. As metallurgical engineering overlaps with many other faculties of Science such as Physics, Chemistry, mining, mechanical engineering, there is a wide scope of employment opportunities in the same. Several engineering colleges in India offer courses in metallurgical engineering. Those who are interested can choose from a plethora of colleges. Engineering colleges in Pune, Chandigarh and other Indian cities offer courses in metallurgical engineering. Some of the engineering colleges that offer courses in metallurgical engineering are - Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
- Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai
- Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
- Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
- Bengal Engineering and Science University, Howrah, West Bengal
India has a good opportunity in the field of metallurgical engineering. Several opportunities are now open for metallurgical engineers in India. It is estimated that India will produce 200 million tonnes of steel that will require metallurgical engineers. The need of metallurgical engineers is increasing because of the several steel plants and research laboratories that are coming up all across the country. They can also work in institutes like Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Those who are interested in moving out from off the beaten track can obviously do so by opting for metallurgical engineering as India has several employment opportunities in the field.
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