University of Pittsburgh's Frederick S. Pettit to be Honored During "Superalloys 2004" International Symposium

PITTSBURGH—Frederick S. Pettit, professor and Harry S. Tack Chair in the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Materials Science and Engineering, will be honored during the 10th International Symposium on Superalloys—called Superalloys 2004—Sept. 19-23, at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion, Pa.

To honor Pettit, proceedings of Superalloys 2004 will be dedicated to him, a recognition that has been conferred only since 1972. Because the symposium is held every four years, Pettit will be just the ninth person to receive this honor.

Pettit joined the Pitt School of Engineering's materials science and engineering department (then the metallurgical and materials engineering department) in 1979 and chaired the unit until 1988. "Remarkably, when Fred was chairman, he carried a full teaching load and a larger research load than anyone in the department," recalled a friend and departmental colleague, Professor Gerald H. Meier. Materials science and engineering students have voted Pettit the department's outstanding teacher a number of times, Meier noted.

Pettit's research focuses on degradation of materials at elevated temperatures by oxidation, hot corrosion and erosion, and the use of coatings for protection. His work emphasizes such high-performance, high-temperature materials as superalloys, intermetallics, composites, and coatings for use in advanced combustion systems.

The Superalloys 2004 symposium gives researchers, manufacturers, and users a forum to present the latest technical knowledge about the class of high-strength, high-temperature alloys commonly known as superalloys.

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9/17/04/tmw