Unit name | Sustainable Composite Material |
---|---|
Unit code | AENGM0051 |
Credit points | 10 |
Level of study | M/7 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Professor. Steve Eichhorn |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | School of Civil, Aerospace and Design Engineering |
Faculty | Faculty of Engineering |
The unit will cover the following topics:
Introduction to sustainability; definitions of sustainability; thermodynamics of sustainable development; materials supply and planetary resource; exergy and energy; sustainable materials; oil and its continued use; planetary limitations; materials selection; life-cycle analysis (LCA); basic training on software to carry out LCA (SimaPro), environmental product declarations (EPDs), cellulosic materials and natural fibres; resins derived from natural materials; recycled carbon fibres; all-polymer composites; metals vs composites; waste separation; end-of-life use of composites; in-factory recycling processes; current recycling of composites; composites ‘design’ and sustainability.
This unit aims to enable students to be able to recognise the importance of sustainability in the context of composite materials. The course aims to inform students with a basic knowledge of the definition(s) of sustainability and sustainable materials. Students should then to be able to then classify materials that are used in composites in terms of their ‘sustainability’ to help inform them of the choices available in an increasingly environmentally aware world.
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
Lectures and Computer lab classes
Essay 2000 words (20%) – the essay will describe a sustainable composite material from a choice of different types, explaining why it is sustainable and contrasting it against other materials in terms of its performance (ILO 1). Students will be expected to debate and discuss the merits of the materials in the context of industrial growth and economic development (ILO 3).
Problem sheet (10%) – the problem sheet will take the students through a life cycle analysis of a sustainable composite material, contrasting against a non-sustainable alternative. The process will enable students to classify sustainability criteria for material and analyse and quantify the benefit of one material over another as part of the design process (ILOs 1-2).
Examination (2 hours duration; 70%) – students will be assessed on their ability to define what a sustainable material is, and to know how to classify them according to their merits from a sustainability perspective (ILOs 1-2). They will have to describe several sustainable materials that are available for composites and provide the context for the use of these materials in a wider scenario of industrial growth and economic development (ILOs 1-3).
Books:
Available in Queen’s Building Library (for up-to-date research in the area):
Research review papers: