Metallurgists are concerned with the extraction and processing of various metals and alloys. They investigate and examine the performance of metals such as iron, steel, aluminium, nickel and copper and use them to produce a range of useful products and materials with certain properties.

The work may be in:

• design and manufacture
• production management
• quality assurance
• research and development

and could be at the forefront of new technologies, developing metals for new applications, or involved in the traditional manufacture of anything.

Metallurgists may specialise as a:

• chemical metallurgist: also known as extraction metallurgists, chemical metallurgists are involved in the extraction of usable metals from ores and studying metal corrosion and fatigue.
• physical metallurgist: monitor the behaviour of metals under stress and studying changes in temperature. You may be involved in inventing new products and improving manufacturing techniques.
• process metallurgist: shape and join metals, selecting the best metal for the job