Engineering Materials and the Environment - 2019 entry

This module will cover recycling technologies (methods and issues), discuss reuse, remanufacturing and sustainable manufacture, waste hierarchy, legislation & directives, sustainability, and examples of evolving business models such as the circular economy.

This module is likely to have an impact on your career, helping you understand the Resource Revolution and familiarising you with a new way of thinking. This is important as we enter a time where resources scarcity and clean, carbon neutral, manufacturing technologies will be key business drivers in many engineering sectors.

Some of the latest developments in engineering materials researched at Exeter (e.g. auxetic materials, additive manufacturing materials, natural materials), including their properties, manufacturing processes and applications, will be presented in the context of Resource Efficiency and the Circular Economy. 

Additive Manufacturing will be discussed as an example of greener technology, near net shape process able 1) to design for lightweighting; 2) to approach near zero waste regarding material utilization; 3) to achieve localised manufacturing.

Prerequisite module: ECM3154, ECM3160 or equivalent

To give you an insight into the very latest developments in materials engineering that are likely to have an impact on their future careers.

This is a constituent module of one or more degree programmes which are accredited by a professional engineering institution under licence from the Engineering Council. The learning outcomes for this module have been mapped to the output standards required for an accredited programme, as listed in the current version of the Engineering Council’s ‘Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes’ document (AHEP-V3).

This module contributes to learning outcomes: SM1m, SM1fl, SM2m, SM3m, SM4m, SM2fl, SM6m, SM3fl, EA1m, EA3m, EA1fl, EA4m,  EA5m, EA2fl, D2m, D6m, D7m, D2fl, D8m, D3fl, ET1m, ET1fl, ET3m, ET3fl, ET4m, ET4fl, ET5m, ET5fl, ET6m, ET6fl, EP1m, EP2m, EP1fl, EP4m, EP10m, EP3fl

A full list of the referenced outcomes is provided online: http://intranet.exeter.ac.uk/emps/subjects/engineering/accreditation/

The AHEP document can be viewed in full on the Engineering Council’s website, at http://www.engc.org.uk/

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge

Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge

A selection of topics, on advanced materials engineering from research currently underway in the College, which may include some of the following:

• Auxetic materials;
• Additive manufacturing materials and processes;
• Recycling methods and reuse of materials (composites);
 on-line technologies minimize waste towards zero carbon emissions combined with materials characterization

Different engineering materials will be used as examples to demonstrate the current recycling issues along with discussing the latest state-of the art technologies in recycling, reuse and remanufacturing.  Ways of minimizing waste in manufacturing and improving energy and materials efficiency will be also presented. 

If a module is normally assessed entirely by coursework, all referred/deferred assessments will normally be by assignment.

If a module is normally assessed by examination or examination plus coursework, referred and deferred assessment will normally be by examination. For referrals, only the examination will count, a mark of 50% being awarded if the examination is passed. For deferrals, candidates will be awarded the higher of the deferred examination mark or the deferred examination mark combined with the original coursework mark.

Basic reading:

ELE: 

http://vle.exeter.ac.uk

Web based and Electronic Resources:

Other Resources:

Reading list for this module: