Metallurgical Engineering University of Pretoria

Overview

The minerals industry contributes to some 50% of South Africa’s exports and is one of the largest employers in the country. Metallurgical engineers play a key role in the production of minerals and metals and help to process metals into final products with added value. In this way, the maximum income is generated in international markets. Components made from metals and other materials are used in all aspects of modern life. The Metallurgical Engineering programme is offered by University of Pretoria.

Career Opportunities

Metallurgical engineers unlock the riches of deposits of metal ores, coal and diamonds and optimise the manufacture and performance of metallic components. They work in plants where valuable minerals are recovered from ore, where metals are produced from the minerals and where the metals are converted into useful materials as well as high-performance products from metals such as steel or aluminium. Careers include production engineers, plant managers, consultants, forensic engineers and researchers.

Metallurgical engineers play a key role in the process of extracting wealth from the resources of South Africa and can be involved in three major fields of specialisation:

• Minerals processing. Processing the ore to release and concentrate the valuable minerals from the mineral resources.
• Extractive metallurgy. The processing of mineral concentrates to metals through pyrometallurgy, for example, smelting or hydrometallurgy, as recovery steps.
• Materials production, performance and integrity. The development of new alloys, the production of useful materials from raw metals, forming through casting, 3D printing and joining through welding are examples of metallurgical applications. The forensic investigation of failures is also of great importance.