Heat treating (or heat treatment) broadly refers to a group of thermal processes in industrial and metalworking applications used to intentionally alter the physical, and sometimes chemical, properties of a material (usually a metal). The Physical Metallurgy laboratory, which has traditionally been the most important one in the department, consists of sample preparation section, including Electro-polishers; a number of heat treatment furnaces with programmable control; high temperature (1700oC) furnaces capable of powder sintering.