411-338 Product Engineering

411-203 Fluid Mechanics, 431-202 Engineering Analysis B (prior to 2001, 421-205 Engineering Analysis B) or equivalent, 610-211 Light, Matter and Chemical Change (prior to 2001, 610-211 Physical Chemistry IIB).

Upon completion of this unit, students should have an appreciation of the flow behaviour of particulate materials and the influence of surface chemistry, additives and processing history on the behaviour of fine solid and liquid particle slurries. They will be familiar with the application of these concepts to the formulation of products and processes in the minerals, ceramics, pigment, food and pharmaceuticals industries. These concepts will be extended to the manufacture and characteristics of ceramic, cemented and geopolymerised materials and a range of plastic and filled plastic materials.

Content: The role of surfaces in processing and materials manufacture. Fine particle fluids, colloidal dispersions and emulsions. Coagulation and stability criterion. Inter-particle forces and the influence on slurry flow properties. The role of molecular additives in food, minerals and soil science. Measurement of slurry viscosity and dispersion characterisation including electrokinetics, light scattering and spectroscopy. Ultra-small particle characterisation and the role of excited state properties and the significance in photo-degradation of materials. Solution properties of macromolecules and the application to non-cross linked gels, viscosity control, thickening and flocculation. Micelle formation from surfactants and application to cleaning, solubilisation and particle manufacture. Precipitation, crystallisation and production of fine particulate materials. Structure-function and mechanical property relationships for plastic and coatings. Classification of plastics including thermo- flocculation sets and thermo-plastics. The role of fine filler materials in properties and durability of plastics and coatings. Melt processing and curing.The role of particles in ceramic properties. Mechanical versus green-body property inter-relationships. Cementation and geopolymerisation reactions.

One class test during the semester contributing 20% to the final mark, as well as an examination not exceeding three hours at the end of the semester, contributing 80% of the final mark.