shaping, alloying, heat treatment, joining, corrosion protection The three main branches of Metallurgical Engineering Course are physical metallurgy, extractive metallurgy and mineral processing. Physical metallurgy deals with problem solving i.e. development of metallic alloys needed for different types of manufacturing and construction . The metallurgical properties include such micro- and macro-structural characteristics as the grain size and grain flow patterns. ... By contrast, in the solid forged parts, there is a gradient in the micro- and macro-structural properties from the surface to the internal areas.