Learning objectives
At the end of the course the student will have an in-depth knowledge of the characteristics and structure of the modern chemical industry, of the strategies in the design and management of a chemical process, of the regulations concerning chemical substances, of industrial separation processes, of risk assessment methods and strategies of intellectual capital and industrial property management (knowledge and understanding).
He will be able to understand the ways in which an industrial chemical process is conducted, choose the optimal parameters for conducting a chemical process. He will also be able to theorize possible improvements in a specific chemical process. The student will be able to contribute to the scale-up and technology transfer from the laboratory level to the pilot and industrial level. He will generally have the ability to understand a problem related to his own profession, to perform a critical evaluation and to propose specific solutions. It will also be able to find chemical informations through the consultation of databases (Applying knowledge and understanding).
He will be able to 1) evaluate the economic and safety aspects of a chemical process, and evaluate those related to the products and starting materials, 2) evaluate optimal procedures and technologies for the purification of a product, 3) evaluate the need to apply procedures for the regulation and authorization of chemicals and formulations, 4) critically select the optimal production technologies, 5) evaluate options for managing intellectual property. In general, the student will be able to critically evaluate his knowledge and skills, he will know how to evaluate the times and methods of a chemical reaction. Finally, he will be able to adapt to different working areas and issues and to make judgments on important scientific and ethical issues (Making judgments).
The student will acquire the ability to communicate in oral and written form, with a technical-specialist language that allows him to dialogue with chemists, chemical engineers and other specialists in the field and to translate even complex concepts in a language understandable to non-specialist. He will be able to interact with other people and work in groups also on multidisciplinary projects, and he will also be able to work independently with the ability to plan objectives, timing and methodologies. It will also be able to carry out training and experimental training for students with lower degree (Communication skills).
The student will be able to critically analyze the experimental results in order to optimize a chemical process. He will have the capacity to connect different topics within the course and with the basic disciplines of industrial chemistry. He will be able to learn independently, addressing new scientific and professional issues and will also be able to update through the consultation of databases, including those specific for patents (Learning skills).
Prerequisites
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Course unit content
Basic concept revising: Principal products and industrial chemical processes. Mass and energy balance concepts. Basic thermodynamic and kinetic notions to understand the effect of operational parameters on yield and selectivity of a chemical reaction. Notions on the hazard and toxicity of chemical compounds and their flammability. Main types of catalysts and their industrial applications. Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. Characteristics of the main types of industrial reactors. Guidelines for process flow sheets. Overview of economic aspects of chemical processes.
Strategies in the design and management of a chemical process: Characteristics and structure of the modern chemical industry. Characteristics of industrial chemical production and factors that influence the type of a chemical process. Life cycle of a product and added value. Priority in the design of a process and related factors of evolution. Practical examples of the evolution of some processes. Guidelines for the scale-up of a process with some practical examples. Analysis of the factors influencing the scale-up of a process. Types of industrial reactors (dedicated plants, multi-product plants, multi-purpose plants). Strategies of choice of the synthetic route, of the raw materials, of the solvent in the industrial production of a chemical compound. Procedures for the regulation and authorization of chemical products (REACH). Strategies for the production of chemical products. Analysis of some modern industrial chemical processes. Examples of Process intensification.
Industrial separation processes: extractions, crystallizations, distillations. Classification according to the separating agent; impact on the overall economic costs. Degrees of freedom in planning and management. Selection strategies according to the type of industrial process. Separation factors.
Risk analysis in chemical processes: Hazard and Operability Study (Hazop). Quantitative risk assessment. Fault tree (FTA). Calculation of the frequency of incidental events. Consequence assessment: assessment of the consequences of incidental events. Evaluation of global risk. Risk management.
Intellectual capital and industrial property. Fundamental principles in the management of intellectual capital and industrial property. Invention & Patent: basic concepts. Industrial Property Code (CPI) and European Patent Convention (EPC). Patentability requirements. Barrier and selection patent. Product-patent and use-patent. Patentability vs Freedom of execution.
Full programme
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Bibliography
1) CHEMCAL PROCESS TECHNOLOGY, J.A. Moulijn, M.Makkee, A.E. van Diepen, Wiley , IBSN 0-471-63062-4
2) DESIGN AND CHEMICAL PROCESS DESIGN AND INTEGRATION, R. Smith, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2005
3) PROCESS DEVELOPMENT FROM THE INITIAL IDEA TO THE CHEMICAL PRODUCTION PLANT,G. H.Vogel, WILEY, ISBN: 3-527-31089-4
4) INDUSTRIAL ORGANIC CHEMICALS (2nd Ed), H.A. Wittcoff, B.G. Reuben, J.S. Plotkin, Wiley, ISBN 0-471-44385-9
5) PRODUCT AND PROCESS DESIGN PRINCIPLES: SYNTHESIS ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION, W.D. Seider , J. D. Seader , Dan iel R. Lewin, Wiley, ISBN: 978-0-471-21663-6
6) PLANT DESIGN FOR SAFETY: A USER FRIENDLY APPROACH, F. T. Klez CSB 543
Teaching methods
The course is composed of 48 hours of lessons, during which students are guided to the understanding the main issues related with the development and management of an industrial chemical process. During the lessons the general problems associated with the conduction of a chemical reaction on industrial scale will be discussed. Theoretical concepts will be exemplified with some modern industrial processes. The course makes use of one or more seminars of experts coming from the productive world that will be promptly communicated to the students. The slides used will be uploaded weekly on the Elly platform. Additional material is also available on Elly. To download the slides the student needs to subscribe to the online course. Slides are considered an integral part of the teaching material. It reminds non-attending students to check the available teaching material and the guidelines provided by the teacher through the Elly platform. The teacher is available by appointment (email) for explanations.
Assessment methods and criteria
The exam is done through an oral test, aimed at ascertaining the acquisition of the expected knowledge and skills. The final exam consists of an interview on the topics:
Strategies in the design and management of a chemical process (60%)
Industrial separation processes (15%)
Risk assessment in chemical processes (10%)
Intellectual capital and industrial property (15%)
Laude is given in the case of achieving the maximum score on each item. Knowledge of the discussed aspects will be verified as well as the ability to argue critically and to connect the different parts of the course. The synthesis, the use of proper technical language and communication skills will be evaluated positively.
Other information
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