= Physical metallurgy
<Physical metallurgy> connects the internal structure of <metals> and <alloys> to their properties and the processes used to change them. It studies <crystal structures>, <crystal defects>, phases and their transformations, including changes caused by deformation and <heat treatment>.
A controlled comparison heats samples of the same <steel> and cools them differently, then measures <hardness> and examines their <microstructures>. Differences in properties can then be related to phase formation and transformation history rather than to a change in overall <chemical composition>. This is why selecting an alloy and selecting its thermal/mechanical processing are coupled design decisions.<Properties of Heat Treated Steel by Massachusetts Institute of Technology>[Laboratory aims and comparison of heat treatments]{ref}
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