Sustainability and materials
Summary
The aim of the course is to provide an overview of sustainability issues as they relate to materials science.
Content
Overview of sustainability concepts
- Relevant terminology, such as materials life cycle, linear vs. circular economy, UN sustainable development goals, green chemistry, end-of-life scenarios
- Metrics and tools to assess sustainability, such as material intensity, carbon footprint/handprint, life cycle assessment
Case studies
- Identifying environmental impacts across material lifecycles, from raw material extraction, processing, manufacture, transport, use, to end of life
- Learning via case studies, such as packaging, plastics, batteries, textiles, engineered foods, metals, ceramics, rare earth materials, scarce materials, conflict materials
Challenges and opportunities
- Biorefinery
- Recycling and biodegradability
- Materials from renewable resources
- Local value chains/sustainable business models (e.g., materials as a service)
- Socio-political contexts of materials
Guest lectures
- Guest lecture from industry (TBD), on sustainability drivers and strategies
- Guest lecture from different academic discipline (TBD)
Learning Prerequisites
Required courses
No specific prerequisites required
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, the student must be able to:
- Define the concepts and terminology that underpin material circularity and sustainability
- Describe the main challenges around sustainable materials development
- Examine case studies considering different materials classes
- Assess / Evaluate potential solutions to improve the sustainability profiles of different materials
- Describe the main environmental impacts of different materials classes and key products
- Formulate strategies to improve material circularity
- Design sustainability into materials, process development, and products
Supervision
| Office hours | Yes |
| Assistants | Yes |
| Forum | No |
In the programs
- Semester: Spring
- Exam form: During the semester (summer session)
- Subject examined: Sustainability and materials
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: mandatory
- Semester: Spring
- Exam form: During the semester (summer session)
- Subject examined: Sustainability and materials
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Spring
- Exam form: During the semester (summer session)
- Subject examined: Sustainability and materials
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Spring
- Exam form: During the semester (summer session)
- Subject examined: Sustainability and materials
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Spring
- Exam form: During the semester (summer session)
- Subject examined: Sustainability and materials
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Spring
- Exam form: During the semester (summer session)
- Subject examined: Sustainability and materials
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Spring
- Exam form: During the semester (summer session)
- Subject examined: Sustainability and materials
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional