31646 - Industrial Chemistry: Technologies of Ceramic Materials and Glasses L

Learning outcomes

Aim of the course is to supply the fundamental concepts on the industrial chemistry and  structure of the chemical industry, with the economic and dimensional factors for the different sectors. These concepts are finalized to the review of the of the production and applications of the ceramic materials, glasses, ceramic glasses, silicates, pigments and the main innovative inorganic fibers. Starting from the raw materials, i will be examinated teh different aspects of the industrial processes, including teh economic ones, and the problems connected with safety and intectual property (know-how and patents).

Course contents

• The chemical industry and the industrial chemestry. Storic and economic development. Concepts of industrial economy, pay-back and calculation methods. Life time of an industrial product and selection of the plant. Different types of innovations. Structure of the chemical industry and main characteristics of each segment.
• Inorganic raw materials: charateristics, properties and prices(production of glasses, ceramics, pigments and fibers). Organic raw materials (carbon, oil, natural gas): charactersitics, properties and costs. Main processes for their transformation.
• Intellectual capital: material and non-material assets; intellectual property, trademarks and industrial patents. Economic and industrial relevance of the patents. Exercise of same example of industrial patents (EU, WO and US).
• Concepts of risk and danger. Mean causes of accidents. Explosions and combustions. Methods for the evaluation of the risk. Toxicity and compatibility of different substances. Limit values for the chemical substances (TLV, CL, MAC, ecc.).
• Glasses: definitions and structural models. Role of the different elements. Glasses wit one or more components. Formation, crystallization and immiscibility. Main chemical-physic properties and their role in the glass production and application. Mechanical and optical properties. Main classes of industrial glasses and their economic relevance. Main production processes: characteristcis, economic and energetic evaluations. Safety and environmental constrains. Forming tecniques: blow, pressing, stretching and lamination. Casting, redrawing and fritting: Secondary operations. Special glasses (fibers, sun pannels, photocromic glasses, ecc.).
• Ceramic glasses: definition and main properties. Cystal nucleation (homogeneous and heterogeneous) and  growth. Thermal treatments. Nature of the phases present. Physical electrical and mechanical properties. Stuctures, classes and main applications.
• Alkali silicate: economic relevance, preparations and uses. Zeoliets: main structures and properties. Economic rlevance and applications. Acid catalysis.
• Ceramic materials: definitions and classifications. Traditional or advanced ceramic materials. Raw materials: plastic, melting and inert components. Grinding processes. Forming processes by casting or processes at plastic state (extrusion, injection and pressing). Enamels and enamellings: production processes and application techniques. General principles of choosing. Refractory ceramics: classification and composition. Main characteristic, properties and production. Refractory non-oxidic ceramics. Purslane: features and production methods. Advanced ceramic materials: properties, production, applications and economic relevance.
• Inorganic pigments: definition, classes and economic relevance. Main characteristic and analyses. White pigments (TiO2; ZnS, ZnO, ecc.). Colored pigments (iron oxides, mixed oxides, CdS, lapislazuli, ecc.). Mmagnetic, lustering, metallic. changing and iridescent special pigments.
• Inorganic fibers and composite materials: definitions, properties and main applications. Fibers, wiskers and powders. Glass and optical fibers. Mineral fibers. C and B fibers. Metallic, ceramic and oxide fibers. Wiskers: propertiets, production and applications.

Readings/Bibliography

K.H. Buchel, H.-H. Moretto, P. Woditsch Industrial Inorganic Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, 2000 (glasses, ceramics, pigments and fibers).

2. Ullman's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, VCH, 1996 (glasses, pigments and fibers).

3. A. Girelli, L. Matteoli, F. Parisi Trattato di Chimica Industriale e Applicata, Vol. 1, Zanichelli (glasses).

4. G.P. Emiliani, F. Corbara Tecnologia Ceramica, Vol. 1-3, Faenza Editrice, 1996 (ceramics).

5. Y. Arai Chemistry of powder production, Chapman & Hall, 1996 (ceramics)

6. Società Ceramica Italiana Reoogia ceramica applicata, Faenza Editrice, 1998 (ceramics).

Teaching methods

• Lectures with the use of many practical examples and specific exercises to illustrate the program
• The didactic material of the course (Word and PowerPoint files) is preliminary available for the student  both as photocopies and as CD.

Assessment methods

• Oral examination integrated with that of Laboratory of Industrial Chemistry.
• Preliminary, is cheduled the preparation of a research report on a specific subject agreed with the student, with following oral report by the student and open discussion with the teachers and other students.
• The laboratory activity as weel as the above research/oral report will be considered for teh overall final evaluation.

Teaching tools

• All the didactic material of the integrated course, fundamentals and laboratory (Word and Power Point Files) is preliminary available to the students as both paper and electronic version.
• All the books used to prepare the lectures are available at the Library of the Degree Course in Faenza or at the Library of the Faculty of Industrial Chemistry of Bologna.
• To prepare the reasersch reports it is also possible tu use the Library of ISTEC-CNR as well as to have access to the Data Banks of the University of Bologna by the PCs of the Degree Course

Office hours

See the website of Angelo Vaccari