What is metallurgy primarily concerned with?

Metallurgy is primarily concerned with the extraction of metals from ores and the production of alloys. This field encompasses several critical processes, starting from the mining of metal ores to the chemical and physical processes that extract the metal and refine it into a usable form.

Once metal is extracted, metallurgy also focuses on creating alloys, which are combinations of two or more elements, with metals often providing enhanced properties such as strength, corrosion resistance, and improved workability. This aspect is crucial for various applications across industries, from construction to electronics.

Other aspects of metallurgy, such as studying the physical properties of metals and chemical reactions involving metals, are important but they fall under broader or different sub-disciplines within the field. However, the core of metallurgy remains centered on how metals can be successfully extracted from their natural state in ores and how they can be combined to form alloys that fulfill specific requirements.