Disperse Systems Technologies

Recommended Prerequisites

Physical Chemistry of Surfaces; Separation Processes; Solid/Liquid Operations; Mass Transfer; Heat Transfer; Chemical Thermodynamics, Mass and Energy Balances.

Teaching Methods

The student will be guided to follow an autonomous learning process. There will be expositive classes to introduce the students to the different themes in the course which the student should develop further autonomously. Following these classes there will also be lab classes. Furthermore the student will be guided to develop a synthesis work. Both lab and synthesis works will lead to writing of small reports which will be presented and discussed orally to reinforce communication skills.

- Laboratory work;

- Synthesis work;

- Oral presentation and discussion of the projects;

-Exam.

Learning Outcomes

Processes consisting of more than 1 phase, with one of them being finally divided (disperse phase), are becoming increasingly important in Chemical Engineering (CE). These systems might be approached with generic tools, similarly to what happens in traditional processes in CE.

The objective of this curricular unit is to approach fundamental concepts and tools for describing, analyzing and modeling these systems and related processes, which arise in distinct areas.

Thus, students are expected to:

- Physically characterize disperse systems - both at laboratory level and at process level (online use).

- Master basic rules of formulation for products comprising at least one disperse phase.

- Understand and control mechanisms that influence the stability of products with a disperse phase.

- Master techniques and strategies for modeling predictively these processes.

- To know and design some of the most important processes used in the industrial production of disperse systems.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Properties of disperse systems.

Advanced characterization techniques for disperse systems from nanometric to micrometric disperse phases. Lab techniques and on-line techniques.

Formulation rules for colloidal systems, emulsions and granules.

Stabilization mechanisms and strategies for disperse systems.

Modelling disperse systems – population balances.

Industrial processes: comminution; emulsification; encapsulation; spray drying; granulation and prilling; transport of multiphase systems in the process.

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Synthesis work: 20.0%
Laboratory work or Field work: 20.0%
Exam: 60.0%

Bibliography

Myers D., Surfaces, interfaces, and colloids:principles and applications, J Wiley, NY, 1999.

Morrison I.D., Sydney R., Colloidal dispersions : suspensions, emulsions, and foams, Wiley, NY, 2002.

Schramm L.L., Emulsions, Foams, and Suspensions:Fundamentals and applications, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2005.

Ramkrishna D., Populations Balances: Theory and applications to particulate systems in Engineering, Academic Press, London, 2000.

Rhodes M.J., Introduction to particle technology, 3rd ed., Wiley, 2013.

Witten T., Structured fluids: polymers, colloids, surfactants, Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, 2010.

J. Lister & B. Ennis, The Science & Engineering of Granulation Processes, Kluwer Ac Pub., Holanda, 2004.

Klinzing G., Rizk, F., Marcus, R., Leung, L.S, Pneumatic Conveying of Solids, Springer, 3rd ed., 2012.