ENE2503 · Material properties and recycling

Overview

This unit will give you an appreciation of materials, their place in the environment and ways of dealing with their presence in the waste stream. You will gain a basic understanding of the structure and properties of the main classes of materials: metals, polymers and ceramics. You will learn about the ways in which these different materials can be disposed of, ranging from incineration, recycling and degradation, and the technologies involved in these processes. The advantages of these methods, as opposed simply to landfill, will be discussed. Methods of sorting of different materials from the waste stream into their various components will also be covered.

Areas of study: E3001 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) - Specialisation: Environmental engineering

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook lists an examination for this unit.

Continuous assessment: 65% Final assessment: 35% This unit contains a threshold hurdle requirement that you must achieve to be able to pass the unit. You are required to achieve at least 45% in the total continuous assessment component and at least 45% in the final assessment component. The consequence of not achieving a hurdle requirement is a fail grade (NH) and a maximum mark of 45 for the unit.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Understand the broad interrelationship of materials in society and issues related to their reuse or disposal
2. Have a basic understanding of the mechanical properties of materials, of how these properties are measured and their importance in various applications
3. Have an understanding of the key classes of materials (metals, ceramics and polymers), how their structure relates to their properties and applications and how this differs between classes
4. Understand the technical aspects of other alternatives to disposing of these materials such as incineration, degradation and recycling
5. Have an understanding of the basic concepts of an energy balance (life-cycle analysis) with regards to materials usage

Workload

The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of 3-6 hours of scheduled learning activities and 6-9 hours of independent study per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher-directed learning, peer-directed learning and online engagement. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.