ENE4506

Materials and the environment

4 points · 24 lectures and 24 tutorials · Clayton · Prerequisities: ENE2503 or MTE2511, MTE2512 and MTE2530

Objectives The subject seeks to develop a basic knowledge and understanding of the: interaction of materials production, usage and disposal, and the environment, in an engineering context; issues such as cradle-to-grave analysis of materials and the global energy cost of various materials management strategies; implications of engineering practice, and of appropriate methods of managing the environmental impact. The subject will develop skills to perform cradle-to-grave analyses of materials; analyse the energy costs of materials management strategies; discuss complex environmental questions regarding materials usage and the global impact of current and possible future practices.

Synopsis Reclamation of materials (metals, ceramics, polymers and composites); recycle, reuse, reduce; choice between energy recovery or landfill. Processing properties and potential end uses of recycled materials. Politics and local issues of recycling (overseas and Australian). Biodegradation of materials. Energy by-products and greenhouse gas load of production and recycling. Economics of materials production - cradle-to-grave analysis (dollars, energy, pollution).

Assessment Examinations: 50% · Assignments: 30% · Oral presentations: 20%

Back to the 1999 Engineering Handbook