Product Design and Analysis (CHEN90038)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
To learn more, visit 2023 Course and subject delivery.
About this subject
Contact information
Summer Term
Professor Ray Dagastine
Email: rrd@unimelb.edu.au
Semester 1
Professor Ray Dagastine
Email: rrd@unimelb.edu.au
Professor Amanda Ellis
Email: amanda.ellis@unimelb.edu.au
Overview
| Availability | Summer Term Semester 1 |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
AIMS
While many chemical engineers work in process engineering, the interdisciplinary nature of chemical engineering is applicable to product development and design where between 30 % to 50% of chemical engineers work in product development depending on the country. The types of products can be quite diverse in nature, ranging from sunscreens, shampoo, pharmaceuticals or mass-produced ice-cream to more device-oriented products such as energy storage devices (e.g., super-capacitors, graphene based materials), drug delivery materials (e.g. polymer particles, capsules or hydrogels), tissue engineered materials or even kidney dialysis units. In practice, chemical engineers work with other engineers (e.g., materials, biomedical, mechanical) in product design in a range of industrial sectors including foods, cosmetics, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, 2D materials, veterinary and agricultural sciences, minerals purification, biochemical processing and biomedical engineering.
This subject allows students to better understand product design by learning about the unifying fundamental structure-function relationships and material properties found in these complex products. Students will learn how to use >a basic knowledge of interfacial phenomena to see how products or devices are designed, manufactured and analysed. In addition, students will be introduced to the key stages of product development, the importance of the needs and specifications of the target users and customers and decision gating processes involved in getting a product from an idea to market. Students will also learn about some of the instruments used in industry for analysis of products, from the basics to state-of-the-art. Students will be able to use the information from the lectures and tutorials to focus on an area of interest to explore how a product or device was discovered, developed, designed delivered for a set of users or customers. They will also be able to present this information to a broader audience.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Fundamental topics covered in the subject include: how colloidal particle diffusion mediates particle suspension stability and shelf life, how to link interparticle forces to stability, shelf life and particle suspension flow, i.e., viscoelasticity and rheology; the formation and properties of emulsions and foams, the behaviour of polymers in solution and how this affects polymer adsorption to surfaces and coating formation; the viscoelastic behaviour of polymer solutions and how polymers are used in soft materials including polymer coatings, gels and hydrogels; the formation solution microstructure through the self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules to form micelles, vesicles and hexagonal phases. The common characterisation and analytical methods used to study these phenomena including a number of more advanced methods in spectroscopy, microscopy, particle size measurement and image analysis.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject the student is expected to:
- Describe and analyse 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
- Connect the structure-function relationships based in interfacial phenomena to product material properties as well as formulation and device design.
- Apply the physical concepts of interfacial phenomena to processes, products and devices in the minerals, ceramics, pigment, food, personal care products, biomedical device and pharmaceuticals industries.
- Apply these concepts to the manufacture and characterisation of products and related soft materials.
Generic skills
- Ability to apply fundamental science and engineering knowledge
- Capacity for independent thought
- Ability to analyse and solve open-ended problems
- Ability to comprehend complex concepts and communicate lucidly this understanding
- Awareness of advanced technologies in the discipline
- Ability to write a technical report
- Ability to present work in poster format
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Corequisites
Non-allowed subjects
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
One written examination for 3 hours.
| End of semester | 70% |
One technical report approximately 2000 words (not including appendices, referencing and diagrams and tables) including progress discussion with coordinator around week 3 for January availability; and Week 9 for Semester 1 availability.
| Week 9 | 15% |
Poster presentation working as a team of 2-3 students; due at the end of Week 3 for January availability and presentations in Week 4. Approximately 10-15 hours of work per student.
| From Week 11 to Week 12 | 15% |
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Dates & times
- Summer Term
Principal coordinator Ray Dagastine Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 18x 2-hour lectures 2x 1-hour tutorial per week, for 4 weeks. Total time commitment 200 hours Teaching period 3 January 2023 to 27 January 2023 Last self-enrol date 9 January 2023 Census date 13 January 2023 Last date to withdraw without fail 20 January 2023 Assessment period ends 3 February 2023 Summer Term contact information
Professor Ray Dagastine
Email: rrd@unimelb.edu.au
- Semester 1
Principal coordinator Ray Dagastine Coordinator Amanda Ellis Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 3x 1-hour lectures, and 1x 1-hour tutorial per week. Total time commitment 200 hours Teaching period 27 February 2023 to 28 May 2023 Last self-enrol date 10 March 2023 Census date 31 March 2023 Last date to withdraw without fail 5 May 2023 Assessment period ends 23 June 2023 Semester 1 contact information
Professor Ray Dagastine
Email: rrd@unimelb.edu.au
Professor Amanda Ellis
Email: amanda.ellis@unimelb.edu.au
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Further information
- Texts
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Engineering Specialisation (formal) Mechanical with Business Specialisation (formal) Mechanical Specialisation (formal) Biomedical with Business Specialisation (formal) Chemical with Business Specialisation (formal) Chemical Specialisation (formal) Materials Specialisation (formal) Biochemical Specialisation (formal) Biomedical - Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 31 January 2024