CME8411 : Recycling Technologies and Sustainable Materials
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Professor Mark Geoghegan
- Lecturer: Dr Colin Hare, Dr Adriana Sierra Romero
- Owning School: Engineering
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This provides advanced knowledge and understanding of materials extraction, processing and waste management and recycling as a basis for Eco Assessment of products to facilitate environmental sustainability.
The module will provide an understanding and knowledge of the degradation of materials in their environment. This is important because materials can be designed to undergo controlled degradation in their environment, or they can be designed to remain stable for longer. To address these differing approaches, biodegradation will be explained for the former and methods to present corrosion will be assessed for the latter. This is important because chemical engineering requires materials that are fit for purpose. Metal pipes, for example, corrode and one needs to ensure that they last for as long as possible for economic and safety reasons. Sustainability applications often benefit from materials that will degrade safety at the end of their useful lives, and biodegradation is an important means to this end.
Outline Of Syllabus
U Mineral resources, reserves classification and distribution of resources, extraction and processing of minerals.
Circular economy and sustainable development. Critical raw materials and factors affecting waste management and recycling.
Recycling technologies for metals, alloys, ceramics, polymers and composite materials.
Eco-assessment techniques illustrated with case studies: Washing machines, electric cars, beverage bottles, Building components, and mobile phones, etc.
Materials used for biodegradation and the mechanisms by which it occurs.
Definitions of different kinds of corrosion and corrosion failure. The economic and health and safety implications of corrosive failure will be highlighted.
Thermodynamics and electrochemical materials chemistry of corrosion.
Using Pourbaix Diagrams to assess environments whereby materials can be made stable.
Corrosion Protection: anodic and cathodic protection. Other means of enhancing the life of metals.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 6 | 1:00 | 6:00 | Tutorials |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 4:00 | 4:00 | Edupac assignment completion |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 20:00 | 20:00 | Revision for formative assessment |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 4:00 | 4:00 | Formative computer assessment |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 15 | 2:00 | 30:00 | Lecture sessions for main syllabus |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | Written examination |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 40:00 | 40:00 | Revision for examination |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 40:00 | 40:00 | Directed reading and learning to solve practical engineering problems |
| Structured Guided Learning | Academic skills activities | 4 | 2:00 | 8:00 | Edupac learning activities |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 46:00 | 46:00 | Independent study around subject and reviewing lecture notes |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures convey the underlying engineering science and the approaches required to apply this to the discipline- specific problems identified.
Tutorials support the students' private-study in reading around the lecture material and learning to solve the practical engineering problems posed by the Tutorial Questions using computer software.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 120 | 2 | M | 70 | End of block examination |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case study | 2 | M | 30 | Educpac assignment centred around sustainable selection of materials - Individual Assignment |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer assessment | 2 | M | Multiple choice test |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The formative computer-based assessment provides an appropriate way to assess both theoretical understanding and practical problem solving skills (AHEP4 M1-M5, M7). It further provides a means to ensure engagement.
The written examination assesses the basic understanding and the ability to deploy the concepts learnt throughout the module in solving problems related to the sustainability of different kinds of materials under time constraint as required in industry. (AHEP4 M1-M5, M17).
The assignment enables a more realistic engineering problem to be considered and assesses the required information acquisition and software use skills (AHEP4 M3-M4). It also develops the ability to apply the broad base of scientific principles which underpin engineering design, in conjunction with a deeper knowledge and understanding in a specific subject area(AHEP4 M1-M5, M7).
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- CME8411's Timetable