Engineering students gain exposure to metal material production

Students in Trine University’s ES233 Engineering Materials class traveled to H.C. Starck Solutions in Coldwater, Michigan, on April 21 to learn more about metal material production.

H.C. Starck produces advanced metal products, specializing in molybdenum and titanium powders used in metal 3D printing, medical implants and aerospace.

As part of the course’s final project, students pick an engineering material and conduct extensive research on that material.

“They need to understand the origin of the material and how it is produced, used, recycled and other impacts,” said John Liu, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Wade Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. “This tour gave my students a better understanding of how metal materials are produced and used in real-world applications.”

The class covers metals, ceramics and polymers, including concepts such as chemical bonding, crystal structure, microstructure of materials and mechanical properties.