PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAMME

To develop knowledge, skills and competences in the field of Metallurgical Engineering relevant to various entrepreneurial and employment possibilities in Zimbabwe and other economies in the regions, Africa, and abroad.

To prepare students for higher degree studies in Metallurgy, and to be environmental stewards required for sustainable exploitation of mineral resources.

3 CAREER PROSPECTS

Employability: Graduates can be employed as process metallurgists, corrosion engineers, welding engineers, production managers, consultants, solicitors, analysts, third party inspectors, lecturers and researchers in mines, foundries, manufacturing companies, law firms, banks, investment and insurance companies, research and commercial laboratories, universities and colleges, in both government and privately owned entities.

The programme also allows for the development of entrepreneurial skills, presenting the possibility of self-employment.

Further Studies: Possible avenues for further education include postgraduate diplomas in Metallurgy, Engineering Education, Law and Finance, Masters and Doctoral studies in Metallurgy, Materials Science and Engineering, Geometallurgy and similar areas.

4. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Normal Entry: At least two A’ Level passes, with Mathematics and Chemistry, including passes in O’ Level Mathematics and English

Special Entry: Refer to Section 3.2 of the General Academic Regulations

Candidates with diplomas in Metallurgical Assaying, Industrial Metallurgy, or similar may be considered

Mature Entry: Refer to Section 3.2 of the General Academic Regulations

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

Code Module Description Pre-requisite Credits

Level 1 Semester 1

HMINE117 Engineering Drawing and Design                                             12

HMTE111 Engineering Mathematics I   12

HMETE118 Chemistry for Engineering                                                       12

CSENG131 Communication Skills                                                                6

HMINE119 Workshop Practice                                                                    12

HMETE103 Introduction To Computers and Computer Applications   12

HMETE112 Physics for Engineers    12

HMETE114 Fundamentals of Geology    12

 

Level 1 Semester 2

Code Module Description Pre-requisite Credits

HMINE126 Engineering Mechanics 12

HMETE140 Materials Science 12

HMETE141 Mineral Beneficiation I 12

HMINE128 Computer Science for Engineers 12

HMINE127 Electrical Principles 12

HMTE122 Engineering Mathematics II 12

HMETE124 Mining Geology 12

Level 2 Semester 1

Code Module Description Pre-requisite Credits

HMETE213 Fluid Mechanics 12

HMETE214 Nanoscience I 12

HMETE215 Thermodynamic Principles 12

HMTE211 Engineering Mathematics III 12

ENT205 Entrepreneurship 12

GS201 Introduction to Gender Studies 8

 

 

Level 2 Semester 2

Code Module Description Pre-requisite    Credits

HMETE225 Heat and Mass Transfer 12

HMETE226 Mineral Beneficiation II 12

HMETE227 Plant Machinery and Materials Handling 12

HMETE228 Fuels and Energy 12

HMETE229 Engineering Mechanics II 12

HMTE221 Engineering Mathematics IV 12

Level 3 Semester 1

Code Module Description Pre-requisite Credits

HMETE311 Ferrous Pyrometallurgy 12

HMATE315 Materials Technology 12

HMETE316 Hydrometallurgy I 12

HMETE317 Metallurgical Laboratory Techniques 12

HMETE318 Safety, Health and Environment 12

HMETE319 Research Methods 12

Level 3 Semester 2

Code Module Description Pre-requisite Credits

 

HMETE326 Foundry Metallurgy 12

HMETE327 Hydrometallurgy II 12

HMETE328 Mechanical Metallurgy 12

HMETE329 Non-Ferrous Pyrometallurgy 12

HMETE320 Refractory Materials 12

HMETE321 Third Year Project 20

Level 4 Semester 1

HMETE400 Work-Related Learning Placement Report 10

Level 4 Semester 2

HMETE404 Work-Related Learning Report 40

HMETE405 Academic Supervisor’s Report 40

HMETE406 Employer’s Assessment Report 20

 

Level 5 Semester 1

Code Module Description Pre-requisite Credits

HMETE513 Metallurgical Process Design, Accounting, Control and Simulation 12

HMETE514 Technological Entrepreneurship and Product Development 12

HMETE515 Engineering and Mineral Economics 12

HMETE516 Professional Ethics, Practise and Engineering Management 12

 

Level 5 Semester 2

Code Module Description Pre-requisite Credits

HMETE523 Corrosion Engineering (elective) 12

HMETE524 Welding and Joining of Materials (elective) 12

HMETE525 Final Year Project 30

13.0 Module Synopses

HMINE117 Engineering Drawing and Design                                            

This module covers the use of drawing instruments, lettering, drawing standards and conventions; projection methods, engineering graphics, and measurement of areas; introduction to CAD, machine drawing, sectional views, ISO conventions and elementary assembly drawing

HMTE111 Engineering Mathematics I

This module covers calculus in one variable, differentiation and integration; functions of several variables, multiple integrals, complex numbers, sequences and series.

HMINE112 Physics for Engineering

This module covers fundamentals concepts of electrical and magnetic energy; electrostatics and electric fields; capacitance and dielectrics; magnetic circuits; electromagnetism; electromagnetic induction; magnetic field; electromagnetic induction, conservation of energy; lateral and volumetric expansion; laws of thermodynamics; ideal gas laws, equilibrium of forces; simple beams and trusses; shear force diagrams and bending moment diagrams; simple stress and strain

HMINE118 Chemistry for Engineering

 This module covers basic concepts of physical, organic, analytical and inorganic chemistry; experiments involving the mole concept, stoichiometry, per cent composition and empirical formula determination; synthesis, analysis, purification and separation techniques; reactions of functional groups in hydrocarbons and industry-relevant analytical techniques

CSENG131 Communication Skills

The module covers introduction to communication; pre-writing skills; writing skills; whole essay construction; scientific and technical writing; reflective, critical and evaluative thinking; teamwork skills

HMETE103 Introduction to Computers and Computer Applications

The module deals with concepts of computer technology and practical use of computers; computing software, computer communications; computer-aided drawing; computer systems organization; number systems; legal and ethical considerations; security; use of the internet to develop research skills

HMETE114 Fundamentals of Geology

The module provides a general introduction to the field of Geology and examines earth material processes and products. Practical examination of rocks and minerals will be undertaken in the field and laboratory.

HMINE119 Workshop Practice

The module covers bench fitting; measuring instruments; forging; wood-working; metal forming; foundry practice; safety and care

HMINE126 Engineering Mechanics I

The module covers general principles; force vectors; equilibrium of a particle; force system resultants; work; energy; power; momentum; friction; equilibrium of a rigid body; structural analysis; friction; centre of gravity and centroid; moments of inertia; virtual work; hydraulics   

HMETE124 Mining Geology

The module covers the theory and practice of ore deposit geology, mineral exploration, including geophysics and hydrogeology; introduces students to mining engineering and metallurgical concepts; covers practical aspects through laboratory work, mine visits and fieldwork

HMETE140 Materials Science

This module covers the classification of materials; material properties; structure-property-performance relationships in materials; atomic structure of materials; bonding, crystal structures and defects in solids; electronic materials; failure of materials; corrosion and corrosion protection

HMETE141 Mineral Beneficiation I

The module introduces concepts in mineral beneficiation. It covers basic mineral processing unit operations and related equipment. Unit operations covered are comminution: rock size reduction by crushing and grinding;  size classification: screening, de-sliming, cycloning; concentration techniques and dewatering

HMINE128 Computer Science for Engineers

The module covers programming in BASIC, PASCAL, C, C++ and Visual Basic; conditional and repetitive statements; input and output; simple functions; program structure and organization; introduction to classes and objects

HMINE127 Electrical Principles

The module covers the fundamentals of electric circuits; resistive network analysis; AC network analysis; transient analysis; frequency response and system concepts

HMTE 122 Engineering Mathematics II

The module covers ordinary differential equations; application of differential equations to engineering; Fourier analysis; Laplace transforms; Z transforms

HMINE213 Fluid Mechanics

The module covers the introduction to fluid mechanics and fluid statics; general fluid motion; descriptive treatment of boundary layer concepts; conservation of mass and energy; flow through pipes and open channels; steady uniform flow in a rectangular open channel

HMETE214 Nanoscience I

The module covers a basic introduction to nano technology; technological applications such as physico-chemical considerations: band structures, typical and useful nano effects; colloids, typical syntheses of nanoparticles, fullerenes, synthesis, forms, variants, properties, applications of carbon nanotubes; synthesis, forms, variants, properties, applications oxide-nanotubes and fibres; bio-nano-link, risk and future perspectives

HMETE215 Thermodynamics Principles

The module covers thermodynamic and electrochemical principles applied to metallurgical processes; phase rule, heat of reaction, free energy, activity, thermodynamic equilibrium; thermodynamics of aqueous solutions, thermochemistry of gas mixtures, solution thermochemistry, inter-action parameters

HMTE211 Engineering Mathematics III

The module covers the introduction to numerical methods for solving problems in mathematics, science and engineering; computer arithmetic and rounding errors; numerical methods for root-finding; polynomial interpolation and splines; solution for linear algebraic equations; numerical integration and differentiation; numerical integration of ODEs; Euler and second order; Runge-Kutta methods

ENT205 Entrepreneurship

The module covers business development; marketing; human resources management pricing; government policies; taxation of business; case studies based on site visits; preparation of a business plan

GS201 Introduction to Gender Studies

The module covers gender sensitivity; gender inequalities; historical development of gender issues; gender analysis; gender issues in Zimbabwe; redressing gender imbalances; empowerment and strategies for gender-responsive environment

HMETE225 Heat and Mass Transfer

The module focuses on conduction, convection, phase change heat transfer and heat exchangers; radiation; application to metallurgical processes; mass transfer: Ficks law; Knudsen diffusion coefficient; mass transfer at phase boundaries; application to metallurgical processes

HMETE226 Mineral Beneficiation

The module covers gravity concentration by heavy media separation, jigging flowing film concentration methods, centrifugal concentrators, shaking tables, spirals; froth flotation including bulk floatation, and differential floatation; magnetic and electrostatic separation; and optical sorting. The module also looks at fluid mechanics-fluid properties practical applications

HMETE227 Plant Machinery and Materials Handling

The module focuses on material handling systems in the mining and minerals industries. It covers topics on material storage facilities such as stockpiles, bins, and hoppers; feeder design principles, operation and monitoring of conveyance; blending principles and equipment; loading and unloading facilities; pumps, principles of slurry pumping and pump selection calculations; pneumatic systems; flowability and other characteristics of materials

HMETE228 Fuels and Energy

The module covers forms of energy, renewable and non-renewable energy; fuels, fuel systems and combustion of fuels; fuels and energy in metallurgical and manufacturing processes; energy efficiency, energy management, sustainable and safe use; energy generation and storage; energy system innovations

HMINE229 Engineering Mechanics II

The module covers stress and strain; combined torsion and bending stress; continuous beams; stiffness matrix and nodal force vector; three dimensional stress; computer analysis; Lagrangian formulation method; Hamiltonian method and D’alambert’s principle; rotating coordinate system; analysis and design of structures

HMTE221 Engineering Mechanics IV

The module covers correlation and regression, scatterplots, and correlation matrix; residuals and transformations; outliers; Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation coefficients and use in predictions; regression in terms of sums of squares and sums of products; estimation and testing; t and f-tests; multiple linear regression; matrices in simple and multiple linear regression; testing and inference in multiple linear regression using matrices; partial correlation; analysis of variance (ANOVA)

HMETE311 Ferrous Pyrometallurgy

The module covers types, occurrence, and beneficiation of iron ores; iron and steel production: agglomeration processes, pyrometallurgical calculations, fluxes and fuels for the production of iron, steel and ferroalloys

HMATE315 Materials Technology

The module focuses on technologies used to process metals into useful products. It covers forming processes such as forging and extrusion; solidification theory, phase equilibria and microstructure; heat treatment of steels, microstructure-property-performance relations; strengthening mechanisms; introduces welding, powder metallurgy and metal matrix composites

HMETE316 Hydrometallurgy I

The module introduces the basic principles of hydrometallurgy. It covers thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of leaching, separation, extraction and recovery of metals; purification and recovery of metals by precipitation, ion exchange, solvent extraction and electro-winning; leaching techniques, pros and cons; introduction to leaching of gold

HMETE317 Metallurgical Laboratory Techniques

The module focuses on analytical techniques commonly used in mineral processing, materials characterisation and failure analysis. Topics covered include metallurgical sampling; sample handling and storage; and metallographic sample preparation. Analytical techniques covered include Optical Microscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS), Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES), UV-VIS Spectrophotometry and Infrared Spectrophotometry

HMETE318 Safety, Health and Environment

The module covers integrated environmental, quality, safety and health management systems; safety, health and environmental hazards and concerns in mineral processing and manufacturing plants; applicable local and international legislations; psychology and acceptability of risk; probability theory and its application to risk, risk assessment and management; economic implications of safety, health and environment issues; local and international case studies

HMINE319 Research Methods and Technical Writing

The module aims to equip students with scientific research and report-writing skills. It covers scientific research methods; design of experiments; writing ethics, citation, and the importance of intellectual property

HMETE326 Foundry Metallurgy

The module covers the economic importance of foundries; types of furnaces used in foundries; melting practises and melt quality; casting processes and mould-making materials; types and prevention of casting defects; quality control in foundries; casting ferrous and nonferrous alloys

HMETE327 Hydrometallurgy II

The module covers hydrometallurgy of gold, nickel and copper: reactions, process parameters, and improving process efficiencies; designing of leaching circuits; mineral valorisation and sustainable practises; bioleaching; local and international case studies

HMETE328 Mechanical Metallurgy

The module looks at the tensile response of metals; response to 2D and 3D stress states; stress-strain relations for elastic and plastic behaviour; fracture and fracture mechanics; effect of temperature on flow properties; fatigue; environmental assisted cracking; failure analysis

HMETE329 Non-Ferrous Pyrometallurgy

The module covers pyrometallurgy of platinum group metals, gold, chrome, tantalite, and the refining of cobalt, copper and nickel. Other topics include process control, process instrumentation, P & ID cascade and feed-forward control, Laplace transforms and troubleshooting

HMETE320 Refractory Materials

The module focuses on the classification of refractory and ceramic materials; application of refractory materials metallurgical processes; and phase diagrams for refractory systems: silica, fireclay, high alumina, magnesia, chromite, magnesia-chromite, doloma and magnesia-carbon systems

HMETE321 Third Year Project

The module builds on skills acquired in HMINE314. Students are expected to demonstrate understanding of scientific research and technical writing by undertaking practical research projects with no more than 3 objectives and writing structured reports. Projects must be relevant to metallurgy

The student has to undertake a minimum of 6 months of work-related learning at a metallurgical engineering organisation where they are expected to augment theoretical knowledge with practical experience. At the end of this period, the student submits a report detailing their experience

HMETE400 Work-Related Learning Placement Report

The module covers: The report of the student’s understanding of an organization’s purpose, functions, operations and linkages with relevant stakeholders i.e. suppliers, clients, government agencies etc.

HMETE404 Work-Related Learning Report

This module provides students an opportunity to identify and carry out project(s) during work-related learning period. Students will record and maintain a log-book of daily activities done for at least eight months. They are required to submit a comprehensive industrial attachment report with appropriate design charts or process charts is required.

HMETE405 Academic Supervisor’s Report

This module provides an assessment done by the academic supervisor during the period of work-related learning. The report comprises of the tasks performed and the assessment or marks allocated. This will also be an overall view of the performance of the student during the whole period of attachment. This gives an overview from the industrial supervisor regarding the performance and conduct of the student. Students will be visited at their work place at least twice by their academic supervisors.

HMETE406 Employer’s Assessment Report

This module provides an assessment done by the industrial supervisor during the period of work-related learning. The report comprises of the tasks performed and the assessment or marks allocated. This will also be an overall view of the performance of the student during the whole period of attachment. This gives an overview from the industrial supervisor regarding the performance and conduct of the student.

 

HMETE513 Metallurgical Process Design, Accounting Control and Simulation

The module focuses on metallurgy process development, data collection, analysis, optimization and metallurgical accounting. It includes computer simulation in energy and mass balances, development of process flow diagram, plant equipment selection and plant layout, development of process control scheme, cost estimation and economic evaluation. The module also includes environmental impact assessment, development of occupational health and safety plan, consideration of sustainability and social impact issues

HMETE514 Technological Entrepreneurship and Product Development

The module covers entrepreneurship and enterprise development; developing a business plan and the maximum utilization of the financial, marketing and human resources; challenges in entrepreneurship, product development and marketing; steps in developing a product

HMINE515 Engineering and Mineral Economics

The module covers micro- and macro-economics; banks and their role in the economy; employment and inflation; project evaluation and project control; sensitivity and risk analysis techniques; project planning; cost estimation and control; commodity marketing; price stabilization and control; capital estimates in mineral projects; cash flow estimates and budgeting over project cycles; project funding and impacts; project financing; organisation and management of projects; feasibility studies

HMINE516 Professional Ethics, Practice and Engineering Management

The module covers professionalism; professional ethics and social responsibility; professional practices, partnerships and client relationships; national and international associations and societies in the industry; continuous professional development; professional practice legislation; engineering management in enterprises; project management; capital project economics; breakeven point; structure responsibility charts; modern trends- intranet; virtual teams; strategic partnering; ASP’s; quality assurance and management; operational research 

HMETE523 Corrosion Engineering

The module covers economic impact of corrosion; corrosion principles; forms of corrosion; corrosion testing techniques; materials used for corrosion applications corrosion control through materials selection, design, environment control, cathodic and anodic protection, coatings; high temperature corrosion; case studies

HMATE524 Welding and Joining of Materials

The module covers welding processes, weld joints and welding symbols; welding defects; welding of ferrous and nonferrous alloys; mechanical joints; brazing and soldering; adhesives  

HMETE525 Final Year Project

Students are to undertake research projects that involve solving a metallurgical problem. Emphasis is on research design; the use of logical argument, learned metallurgical concepts, mathematical and science principles, and ICT in designing and conducting experiments to aid problem-solving. The economic value of the project and/or the proposed solution must be highlighted. Projects that demonstrate innovation and that may lead to commercialisation are encouraged