PE Metallurgical study guide
PE Metallurgical · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The PE Metallurgical and Materials exam is one of the NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) examinations, which test for a minimum level of competency in a particular engineering discipline. It is designed for engineers who have gained a minimum of four years post-college work experience in their chosen engineering discipline, and it is generally the final technical step candidates take on the path to licensure as a professional engineer through their state or provincial board. The PE Metallurgical study guide has 6 sections and about 1,538 words.
01Materials Properties and Behavior
A candidate must be fluent in the whole stress–strain curve: elastic modulus E, proportional limit, 0.2% offset yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, percent elongation and reduction of area, plus the engineering-versus-true distinction. Know that E is structure-insensitive (alloying or heat treatment barely moves it) while yield and UTS are structure-sensitive.
267 words, about 1 min02Metals and Alloys
Be able to read binary phase diagrams, apply the lever rule, and distinguish eutectic from eutectoid reactions. In the Fe–Fe3C diagram, know the eutectoid at 0.77 wt% C and 727 C, proeutectoid ferrite or cementite, pearlite as a lamellar two-phase constituent, and the difference between equilibrium (slow-cool) and non-equilibrium (martensite) products.
251 words, about 1 min03Ceramics, Polymers, Composites, and Electronic Materials
Ionic and covalent bonding gives high stiffness, high melting point, low toughness, and strength that is statistically distributed. Expect Weibull statistics: a high Weibull modulus means a narrow flaw population and a reliable part, whereas a low modulus means scatter.
254 words, about 1 min04Materials Processing and Manufacturing
Understand nucleation and growth, dendrites and segregation, and riser design. Chvorinov's rule, t = B (V/A)^2, says solidification time scales with the volume-to-surface-area ratio squared, so a riser must have a larger V/A than the casting it feeds.
255 words, about 1 min05Materials Selection and Design
Ashby-style selection works in three steps: identify the function (tie, beam, panel, spring), the objective (minimum mass, minimum cost, maximum stiffness), and the constraint (strength, stiffness, or both). Eliminate the free geometric variable to derive a performance index.
258 words, about 1 min06Testing, Characterization, Failure Analysis, and Degradation
Know specimen geometry and standards for tension, hardness, Charpy impact (absorbed energy and the ductile-to-brittle transition), fracture toughness K IC and J-integral, and fatigue testing (S–N curves, fatigue limit, crack-growth da/dN versus delta-K and the Paris law). Understand scatter and the need for multiple specimens.
253 words, about 1 min