In the 21st century, humanity faces grand challenges in the sustainability of the world. Materials engineering has a critical role to play in this, as many approaches to addressing the challenges are material-related. This course will provide students with a learning opportunity in sustainable development, from a materials engineering point of view. In this course, a particular emphasis is placed on the use of advanced nanomaterials. The course will discuss the use of advanced materials and nanomaterials not only in energy applications (generation, storage, saving) but also in the areas of environment, water, transportation, health, infrastructure and food security. The course also covers the topics on environmental and social impacts of nanomaterials and life-cycle analysis.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
On successful completion of this course, students should have the skills and knowledge to:- Summarise, evaluate and explain the current issues in sustainable development in the areas of energy, water, food and health securities as well as infrastructure.
- Identify and critically evaluate current developments and emerging trends in nanomaterial engineering for sustainability, by applying essential knowledge in this field.
- Employ life-cycle thinking and life-cycle analysis tools to critically analyse sustainability of materials and design new materials-based solutions to sustainable development.
- Recognise and examine the multidisciplinary nature of the challenges in sustainable development and propose solutions to the effective communication between a range of stakeholders for the successful adaptation of new technologies.
- Translate sustainability problems into tractable questions and formulate and evaluate solutions by applying technical knowledge in materials engineering nanomaterial science.
- Communicate effectively with colleagues and others by employing a range of communication media and tools including oral presentation and technical writing.
- Work effectively and proactively within teams, demonstrating autonomy, professional conduct, well-developed judgment, adaptability and responsibility to achieve engineering outcomes at a high standard.
Indicative Assessment
- Assignments (38%);
- Labs (10%);
- Seminar Presentation (4%);
- Final Exam (48%)
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
Weekly workload includes 2 hour lecture, 1 hour tutorial and self-directed study towards assignments.Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Reading materials will be given every week.Preliminary Reading
- Nanotechnology Commercialisation, by Takuya Tsuzuki, CRC Press, 2013, ISBN 9789814303286
- Nanotechnology for Sustainable Manufacturing, by Robert B. Northrop, CRC Press, 2014, ISBN 9781482214826
- Nanomaterials for Sustainable Energy, by Li, Quan (Ed.), Springer, 2016, ISBN 978-3-319-32023-6
- Nanotechnology for the Energy Challenge, 2nd Ed., by Javier García-Martínez (Ed.), Wiley, 2013, ISBN: 978-3-527-33380-6
- Advanced Nanomaterials and their Applications in Renewable Energy, by Louise Jingbo Liu and Sajid Bashir, Elsevier, 2015,
- ISBN: 978-0-12-801528-5
- Sustainable Nanotechnology and the Environment: Advances and Achievements, by Najm Shamim and Virender K. Sharma, Oxford University Press 2013, ISBN: 9780841227842
Assumed Knowledge
General Math skillsMinors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $4980 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $6360 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
