Handbook

Degradation of engineering materials occurs in all applications through corrosion and wear. This Level 4 course teaches students how to minimise and control the rate at which this occurs to extend the lifespan of engineered components. The course is taught through lectures and laboratories and covers three main areas:

Corrosion and control strategies: Corrosion occurs in several ways. Students will learn the causes of each type of corrosion, and how to prevent corrosion from happening or reduce the rate at which corrosion occurs in established systems.

Wear: Wear occurs in many engineering applications; this part of the course will inform students of the primary mechanisms by which wear occurs, and how simple models of these wear mechanisms allow the main parameters and materials properties affecting wear rates to be identified.

Surface Engineering: Students will learn about the purpose of engineered surfaces to increase the lifespan of materials by increasing resistance to both corrosion and wear, with a focus on the hardening of steel and the common coating methods used in industry to protect different materials.