CME8412

• Offered for Year: 2025/26
• Module Leader(s): Dr Fernando Russo Abegao
• Owning School: School of Engineering
• Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Aims

This module has two parts. Part I levels the chemistry/chemical engineering foundational knowledge of students. The second part dives into green chemistry. 

Part I:

The first part of this module will aim to enrich the chemistry knowledge in key aspects of chemistry applied to sustainable processes. Knowledge of specific chemical and biochemical processes, method and techniques relevant for the content later covered in elective modules will also be expanded. It will also introduce the fundamental principles of the chemical engineering discipline, developing an awareness of the basic principles of chemical engineering, approaches to solving engineering problems, principles of plant design and operation, and awareness of environmental and safety issues. 

Part II:

The second part of the module aims to introduce students to Green Chemistry principles, practice and design. 

 

Outline Of Syllabus

Part I:

• Thermodynamics and kinetic effects in chemical reactions

• Molecular and ionic interactions

• Electronic structure in atoms, simple and complex molecules

• Bonding in extended systems – conjugation

• Substitution and elimination reactions

• Solvent effects

• Leaving groups 

• Competing reactions 

• Introduction to chemical engineering

• Units, dimensions, and basic physical properties 

• Ideal gas law, partial pressure, and gas composition

• The laws of thermodynamics

• Mass and energy balances 

• Vapour-liquid equilibrium such as vapour pressure, Henry’s law, and Raoult’s law

• Fluid mechanics such as properties of fluids, flow regimes, mechanical energy balance, and pressure drop 

• Flow measurement systems, valves, and pumps

• Heat transfer such as modes of heat transfer, the overall heat transfer coefficient, and heat exchangers

• Mass transfer such as diffusion, diffusion coefficients, and Fick’s laws of diffusion

• Process design such as unit operations, process flow diagram, and piping and instrumentation diagram

• Separation processes such as phase creation, barrier, distillation, and absorption

• Process safety such as hazards and hazardous incidents, hierarchy of hazard control, COSHH, and COMAH

 Part II:

• Introduction to green chemistry and green chemistry principles

• Green Chemistry, the UN Development Goals and Sustainability

• The Green Chemistry toolbox and new conversion pathways 

• Feedstocks and starting materials

• Catalysis and Green Chemistry

• Biocatalysis

• Green Solvents 

• Processes and operations 

• Alternative energy sources 

• Inherent safety

• Evaluating the impacts of green chemistry, green chemistry metrics, and design decision frameworks 

Learning Outcomes

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

Part I:

After successfully completing Part I of this module, students are expected to be able to: 

• Relate behaviour of chemical reactions with thermodynamic and kinetic theory and effects 

• Interpret the effect of molecular interactions in chemical reactions

• Relate electron structures in atoms and molecules with their properties and reactivity 

• Formulate reaction mechanisms given commonly followed pathways

• Generalize solvent effects in chemical reactions and separation

• Illustrate leaving groups effects

• Interpret the effect of competing reactions in process performance and technical design 

• Distinguish the differences between chemical engineering and other science and engineering disciplines 

• Apply units, dimensions, and basic physical properties as relevant to chemical engineering problems

• Use the ideal gas law, partial pressure, and gas composition as relevant to chemical engineering problems 

• Employ the laws of thermodynamics in the context of chemical engineering

• Apply mass and energy balances as needed to solve common chemical engineering problems 

• Distinguish between different fluid flow regimes

• Apply energy balance as needed to solve common fluid flow problems and to evaluate pressure drop 

• Distinguish the differences between various flow measurement systems and different types of valves and pumps 

• Distinguish between different modes of heat transfer as occur in chemical engineering

• Evaluate the overall heat transfer coefficient for common chemical engineering problems 

• Apply laws of diffusion to evaluate diffusion coefficients in common mass transfer problems 

• Generate process flow diagrams and/or piping and instrumentation diagrams

• Distinguish between different separation processes such as phase creation, barrier, distillation, and absorption 

• Analyse hazards and hazardous incidents and apply hierarchy of hazard control

Part II:

After successfully completing Part II of this module, students are expected to be able to: 

• Combine green and sustainable chemistry principles and tools to design sustainable processes

• Appraise green and sustainable chemistry within a wider context of UN Sustainable Development Goals 

• Make decisions regarding feedstocks sustainability and use of alternative feedstocks

• Calculate and appraise the mass and energy balance to a process

• Differentiate and critically evaluate the importance of heterogeneous catalysis to green chemistry 

• Identify, differentiate between green and non-green solvents and offer suitable green alternatives in relation to their importance in chemical and related processes 

• Evaluate engineering methods for improving process efficiencies

• Critically analyse the importance of energy efficiency and the range of energy sources 

• Use and critically evaluate advanced green chemistry metrics

• Demonstrate a high level of practical ability in the design and execution of green chemical processes 

Intended Skill Outcomes 

Throughout this module students will gain the following skills: 

• The ability to apply a comprehensive knowledge of mathematics, natural science, and chemical engineering principles when undertaking practical assignments in chemical engineering industry

• Engineering practice skills required to critically evaluate relevant sources of information to solve various chemical engineering problems 

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The module is delivered by a combination of present in-person lectures and tutorials, supplemented by reading materials which include research articles and process development case studies. Lectures convey the fundamental scientific concepts. Tutorial classes support the lecture material through practical examples. Tutorial questions will be attempted by students during teaching sessions where the lecturer will be moving between students providing feedback on their learning. Model solutions will be provided for tutorial questions so to enable students to compare and validate their solutions. 

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners.

Formative Assessment

Component	Semester	When Set	Comment
Computer assessment 1	1	M	Multiple online quizzes for students to check knowledge throughout the module will be deployed on Canvas.

 

Other Assessment

Timetable

• Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/