Units
Advanced Materials and Engineering Applications
Unit code: ENN531
Credit points: 12
Information about fees and unit costs
Design, material selection and processing play a vital role in developing products and structures. This unit is designed to introduce the recent development of advanced materials and their potential applications. The advances in characterization and simulation techniques will be also covered. The unit teaches the inter-relationships between the microstructure, properties and processing so that the fundamental principle of structure-property relationship and materials selection can be understood. The unit also provides students an opportunity to apply the knowledge to analyse a typical material problem through project work and use of state-of-the-art material selection software.
Availability
| Semester | Available |
|---|---|
| 2013 Semester 1 | Yes |
Offered in these courses
- EN50
Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013
Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.
Rationale
Understanding of the fundamental relationships between the microstructure and properties in different materials is critical to development of robust designs and/or manufacturing methods. This unit provides knowledge in advanced materials, their properties, application, processing, and characterization and simulation. It covers both traditional materials whose properties have been enhanced and newly developed high performance materials, including nanomaterials, biomaterials, smart materials, composites, and energy and environment materials. The recent advances in material characterization and simulation techniques will be introduced.
Aims
The aim of this unit is to provide the you with an advanced level understanding of materials using fundamental principles and how these materials are selected for various applications. The unit will also introduce advanced techniques for the production of modern materials and methods for material characterisation and simulation. The overall aim of this unit is to provide advanced knowledge and skills in materials science and engineering.
Objectives
On completion of this unit you will be able to demonstrate:
1. The ability to describe the fundamental structure-property relationship in materials.
2. Analysis and selection materials for different applications.
3. The ability to discuss several groups of novel materials and potential applications.
4. Application of modern characterization and simulation techniques.
5. Effective written and oral communication in the field of materials.
Content
The major topics to be covered in this unit and their consequent skills acquired include:
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
The technical content of the unit will be taught using the following teaching tools:
Formal lectures: will cover the theory with emphasise on some practical applications of advanced material. Additional learning will be achieved by reading the recommended reference texts. Lecture slides and some additional readings will be made available on-line using the Blackboard website prior to lectures.
Project: One major assignment related to materials selection or development of new materials will be given in week 3/4. This assignment will be done in groups and will involve writing a report of about 2000 word on a selected topic and giving a 10 minute oral presentation. Submission of final report will be in week 12. The seminar presentation will be given during the normal lecture times in week 13.
Laboratories: There are two prac demonstrations. You will be introduced to materials characterisations (such as XRD, AFM, electron microscopy, optical, etc) and/or testing of some advanced materials. Your lab demonstrator will divided you into small groups to perform these pracs.
Assessment
This unit incorporates three items of assessment:
Pracs (20%): You will do 2 pracs for this unit. You should complete the worksheets for each lab and submit all the reports in a portfolio one week after your last prac. Each prac has equal weighting. Prac reports should be submitted through the Assignment Minder.
Project (30%): You will be provided a list of projects to select. A small team will be form to work on the selected project for the whole semester. Your written report and oral presentation will be assessed. Your collaborative work and contribution to your team are important and group members are expected to make equivalent contributions. Marks will be deducted if your contribution is significantly lower. Each group must fill in the ¿Statement of Contribution Form¿. Final submission of the report is on Friday in week 12. Assignment should be submitted through the Assignment Minder as well.
Final Exam (50%): The final exam will be given at the end of the semester. Any portable electronic calculators to calculate numerical values will be allowed to use on the examination.Assessment in this unit is based on Criterion Referenced Assessment. Formative oral feedback will be provided in lab and project reports and written feedback will be given on the project report and presentation, laboratory reports (and final examination on request).
Assessment name:
Laboratory/Practical
Description:
You are required to engage in laboratory practical sessions, take notes or measurements and write a report using acquired data.
Relates to objectives:
1, 3, 4, 5
Weight:
20%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
One week after pracs
Assessment name:
Project
Description:
You will be involved in a group project that will solve a typical material problem (e.g. selection of materials for a particular application or development of a novel material).
Relates to objectives:
1, 2, 3, 5
Weight:
30%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Group
Due date:
Week 12
Assessment name:
Examination (written)
Description:
You will answer questions and solve problems related to key concepts in materials and characterization techniques covered in this unit. (2hr +10min perusal)
Relates to objectives:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Weight:
50%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Exam Period
Academic Honesty
Academic honesty means that you are expected to exhibit honesty and act responsibly when undertaking assessment. Any action or practice on your part which would defeat the purposes of assessment is regarded as academic dishonesty. The penalties for academic dishonesty are provided in the Student Rules. For more information you should consult the QUT Library resources for avoiding plagiarism.
Resource materials
There is no prescribed text book for this unit. The relevant lecture slides and handouts will be posted in the Blackboard for easy access.
A list of reference books and other useful websites will be provided in week 1. The Cambridge Engineering Materials Selector Software (EDUPACK2008) which is available at the library website is a useful tool for selection of materials.
Risk assessment statement
You will undertake lectures and tutorials in the traditional classrooms and lecture theatres. As such, there are no extraordinary workplace health and safety issues associated with these components of the unit.
You will be required to undertake practical sessions in the laboratory under the supervision of the lecturer and technical staff. In any laboratory practicals you will be advised of requirements of safe and responsible behaviour and will be required to wear appropriate protective items (e.g. closed shoes or steel capped shoes).
You will undergo a health and safety induction before the commencement of the practical sessions and will be issued with a safety induction card. If you do not have a safety induction card you will be denied access to laboratories.
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.
Last modified: 13-Mar-2012
