Engineering Chemistry 2

Description

The goal of the course is to provide students with the chemistry background needed to better understand industrial chemical processes. The material will be related to industrial processes implemented in New Zealand and internationally.

This course covers:

Develop familiarity with the structural and written terminology and communication used in organic chemistry. (Richard Hartshorn)
• Draw organic molecules in three dimensions using appropriate representation.
• Describe the effect of rotations about carbon-carbon single bonds assess the relative stabilities of different conformers.
• Draw the different conformations of cyclohexane and its derivatives.
• Describe the different types of isomerism that are possible for organic molecules.
• Understand the importance of electron delocalisation, resonance, acidity and basicity in organic molecules.
• Describe the important functional groups commonly found in organic and biological molecules.
• Classify organic reactions into specific reaction types.

Introduction to industrial catalytic processes. (Vladimir Golovko)
• Understand the relative importance of reaction kinetics and thermodynamics, applying these concepts to the examples of Steam Methane Reforming and Ammonia synthesis.
• Explain the role and mode of action of catalysts and discuss their key properties.
• Distinguish between kinetic and thermodynamic control of catalytic reactions, applying this knowledge to understanding the effect of temperature on those reactions.
• Compare and contrast strong and weak chemical interactions and their role in physisorption and chemisorption, applying this knowledge to adsorption isotherms.

Introduction to chemical products production. (Alex Yip)
• Understand that hydrocarbons are the feedstock for many chemical products.
• Understand that natural products are an existing and emerging source of chemical feedstocks.
• Develop bi-cultural appreciation of the use of natural products as feedstocks in traditional Maori economy.
• Understand the role of temperature, pressure, and concentration on organic and inorganic reactions and apply this knowledge to the context of current and future chemical feedstocks.
• Describe and characterize basic reactions between selected types of functional groups. Understand the endo or exothermic nature of these reactions.
• Apply knowledge of functional groups reactivity to predict physical properties, reaction products, and feasible by-products.
• Identify spectroscopic methods to identify functional groups.