Sustainability and Circularity in Materials (IF 402)

2024 Spring
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Interfaculty Course(IF)
3
6
Burcu Saner Okan bsanerokan@sabanciuniv.edu,
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Undergraduate
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CONTENT

This course aims to provide a multidisciplinary approach, including engineering, management, and sustainability sciences, for the development of recycling and upcycling technologies towards a ustainable future. A circular approach is needed as a significant contribution to a more sustainable, low-carbon, resource-efficient, and competitive circularity by closing the loop on product lifecycles through greater recycling and the use of recycled materials. The course will cover detailed discussions on how waste thermosets thermoplastics instead of landfilling are converted into value-added products by recycling processes, and how unrecyclable materials like carbon fiber-based composite can be recycled and how direct and captured CO2 from air and oceans can be converted into chemicals and raw materials. Additionally, cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment approaches will be explained to measure the environmental impact of circular products, such as the release of CO2 emissions. This course will discuss the implications of increased resource efficiency and circularity for sustainable development, addressing in more detail design, manufacturing, use,reuse, repair, remanufacturing, recycling,and sustainable waste management It will also examine the contribution of recycling to the sustainability of industrial processes and sustainable development, considering the increasing demand for green products and environmental regulations in various sectors.

PROGRAMME OUTCOMES


1. Understand the world, their country, their society, as well as themselves and have awareness of ethical problems, social rights, values and responsibility to the self and to others.

2. Understand different disciplines from natural and social sciences to mathematics and art, and develop interdisciplinary approaches in thinking and practice.

3. Think critically, follow innovations and developments in science and technology, demonstrate personal and organizational entrepreneurship and engage in life-long learning in various subjects; have the ability to continue to educate him/herself.

4. Communicate effectively in Turkish and English by oral, written, graphical and technological means.

5. Take individual and team responsibility, function effectively and respectively as an individual and a member or a leader of a team; and have the skills to work effectively in multi-disciplinary teams.


1. Possess sufficient knowledge of mathematics, science and program-specific engineering topics; use theoretical and applied knowledge of these areas in complex engineering problems.

2. Identify, define, formulate and solve complex engineering problems; choose and apply suitable analysis and modeling methods for this purpose.

3. Develop, choose and use modern techniques and tools that are needed for analysis and solution of complex problems faced in engineering applications; possess knowledge of standards used in engineering applications; use information technologies effectively.

4. Have the ability to design a complex system, process, instrument or a product under realistic constraints and conditions, with the goal of fulfilling specified needs; apply modern design techniques for this purpose.

5. Design and conduct experiments, collect data, analyze and interpret the results to investigate complex engineering problems or program-specific research areas.

6. Possess knowledge of business practices such as project management, risk management and change management; awareness on innovation; knowledge of sustainable development.

7. Possess knowledge of impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, health and societal context; knowledge of contemporary issues; awareness on legal outcomes of engineering solutions; knowledge of behavior according to ethical principles, understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.

8. Have the ability to write effective reports and comprehend written reports, prepare design and production reports, make effective presentations, and give and receive clear and intelligible instructions.


1. Applying fundamental and advanced knowledge of natural sciences as well as engineering principles to develop and design new materials and establish the relation between internal structure and physical properties using experimental, computational and theoretical tools.

2. Merging the existing knowledge on physical properties, design limits and fabrication methods in materials selection for a particular application or to resolve material performance related problems.

3. Predicting and understanding the behavior of a material under use in a specific environment knowing the internal structure or vice versa.


1. Formulate and analyze problems in complex manufacturing and service systems by comprehending and applying the basic tools of industrial engineering such as modeling and optimization, stochastics, statistics.

2. Design and develop appropriate analytical solution strategies for problems in integrated production and service systems involving human capital, materials, information, equipment, and energy.

3. Implement solution strategies on a computer platform for decision-support purposes by employing effective computational and experimental tools.