LEARNING OUTCOMES
After the course the student is able to
- Tell the physical and chemical distinctions between natural fibres, regenerated fibres, and nanofibres
- Describe the basic structures, properties and functions of common hemicelluloses and lignins
- Master the morphology of the native cellulose microfibril and acknowledge how it affects nanocellulose preparation and properties
- Explain comprehensively how nanocellulose is produced
- Detect the major obstacles and difficulties in cellulose dissolution and regeneration through basic laws of physical chemistry
- Explain the main pathways to chemical modification of cellulose and nanocellulose
- Apply basic structure-property relationship to cellulose-based fibres and understand their implications in most common modern applications (excluding paper and board)
Credits: 5
Schedule: 14.09.2021 - 29.11.2021
Teacher in charge (valid for whole curriculum period):
Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Eero Kontturi
Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation):
CEFR level (valid for whole curriculum period):
Language of instruction and studies (applies in this implementation):
Teaching language: English. Languages of study attainment: English
CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD
Content
valid for whole curriculum period:
Isolation of wood and non-wood fibres from the plant material; cell wall structure of lignocellulosic fibres; chemical structure and most common chemical reactions of cell wall components (including hemicellulose and lignin); crystallinity and morphology of cellulose; structure-property relationships of lignocellulosic fibres; sorption behaviour and effect on properties; fibre mechanics and modelling; defects in fibres and their effect on properties; dissolution of cellulose and manufacture of regenerated cellulose; structure and properties of regenerated cellulose; nanocellulose isolation, characteristics and applications
Assessment Methods and Criteria
valid for whole curriculum period:
Oral examination (50% of the grade)
Report based on the project work (50% of the grade)
Workload
valid for whole curriculum period:
12 lectures: 25 h (including preparation)
Examination: 20 h (self-study)
Laboratory project: 90 h (including planning, reporting, and presenting)
DETAILS
Study Material
valid for whole curriculum period:
Lectures
Lecture notes and included further reading
Substitutes for Courses
valid for whole curriculum period:
Prerequisites
valid for whole curriculum period:
SDG: Sustainable Development Goals
9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
13 Climate Action
15 Life on Land
FURTHER INFORMATION
Further Information
valid for whole curriculum period:
Lectures take place in Period I while the project work is performed (in groups of two students) in Period II. Project work is disseminated in a written report and a seminar presentation.
Teaching Period:
2020-2021 Autumn I-II
2021-2022 Autumn I-II
Course Homepage: https://mycourses.aalto.fi/course/search.php?search=CHEM-E2140
Registration for Courses: In the academic year 2021-2022, registration for courses will take place on Sisu (sisu.aalto.fi) instead of WebOodi.
Sisu