Discovering the connections between physicochemistry and the materials behaviour

The most usual challenge in educational practice is to decide between two options: those that refer to the method – how to teach, and those that refer to the content – what to teach. This paper presents an activity developed by a student, guided by two professors, in order to link the physical, chemical and metallurgical properties, specially the pellets reducibility used in direct reduction process. Thus, it is intended to relate these properties to the reaction of degradation caused by raw material transportation. Students have the opportunity to apply different characterisation techniques used in the steel industry to determine pellet behaviour. This type of activity brings them closer them to their prospective professional job.