Environment and Materials Engineering
Curriculum
The course focuses on materials science, materials engineering, and environmental chemistry, fostering technical capabilities to design and develop sustainable new materials.
1st year: Learn basic subjects of materials and chemistry
●Main Courses of Study
Environment and Chemistry/ Introduction to Environmental and Materials Engineering / Materials Mechanics/ Thermodynamics / Organic Materials/ Phase Diagrams and Metallographic Structures
2nd year: Consolidate knowledge through lectures, exercises and experiments
●Main Courses of Study
Crystal Structure Analysis / Inorganic Materials / Mass Transfer Theory/ Materials Science / Materials Electrochemistry / General Theory of Environmental and Materials Engineering/ Biomaterial Chemistry / Catalytic Chemistry / Solid State Physics / Elastoplasticity Theory/ Fundamental Experiments on Environmental Materials
3rd year: Focus on experiments in the laboratory to acquire further expertise
●Main Courses of Study
Experiments in Environmental Materials Science 1/2 / Composite Materials / Principles of Solidification / Experiments in Environmental Materials Engineering 1/2 / Materials Informatics / Electron Microscopy and Nanoscience / Physical Chemistry of Surfaces and Interfaces / Recycling Engineering / Graduation Thesis 1/2
4th year: Develop graduation research and complete the graduation thesis
●Main Courses of Study
Graduation Thesis 3/4
Class Introduction
General Theory of Environmental and Materials Engineering
This class is designed to provide students with an overview of the research being conducted in each laboratory of the Environment and Materials Engineering course. Faculty members in charge of this course introduce cutting-edge research in their respective fields to help students understand the excitement of research.
Inorganic Materials
Inorganic materials are new materials for which demand is growing dramatically, including applications as electronic components and optical elements. Students learn about their new functions and structures and understand their overall industrial applications.
Experiments in Environmental Materials Engineering 1/2
Students are divided into small groups of about 10 to conduct experiments, analysis, discussion, and literature research in order to enhance their expertise and learn experiment techniques including safety in preparation for full-scale research.
Examples of Research Topics
Preparation of multicellular artificial lipid membrane supported by metallic spherical shell structures
Biomaterials Laboratory: Professor Kazunari Matsumura
In recent years, new materials known as “soft materials” have been attracting attention. One such material is the cell membrane that covers the surface of cells, which is a flexible material consisting of a double phospholipid membrane. In our laboratory, we aim to incorporate these lipid membranes into devices as multicellular artificial lipid membranes by compositing them with metal capsules to make them less fragile. Our research is conducted while incorporating students' free ideas into the fabrication method.
Photograph of electron micrograph of a metallic spherical shell supporting a lipid membrane, showing regular rows of three tiny micron capsules
Phase of observing a prepared sample under an optical microscope. Various types of microscopes are used in this research.
Example of Activities with Overseas Partners
Global PBL in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering for developing globally competent manufacturing professionals
Materials Design Engineering Laboratory at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Aiming to develop practical skills to cope with the remarkable scientific progress of recent years, students will set specific problems in the field of materials engineering, solve them in cooperation with students majoring in materials engineering from overseas universities over a two-week period, and make presentations. Through the process of group work in small groups, students can dramatically develop their practical and global skills.
Small groups discuss solutions to the question, “How can materials engineering technology contribute to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions?”
The groups present the solutions they have put together. Communication skills are improved through active question and answer sessions.
Examples of Graduation Research
Recovery of rare metals from urban mines using ionic liquids
In recent years, rare metals have been used in many electronic devices. However, Japan is dependent on imports for most of its rare metals. Therefore, it is necessary to separate and recover rare metals from discarded electronic devices (urban mines). In this study, we are developing a process to separate and recover rare metals from urban mines with high efficiency and low environmental impact using a new material called ionic liquid.
If rare metals can be separated and recovered from urban mines using our research, it could make a significant contribution to the resource depletion and environmental problems facing Japan. In addition, ionic liquids are characterized by their non-volatility, flame resistance, and high conductivity, and they are expected to have a wide range of applications, such as electrolytes for batteries, reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, and surface treatment of materials.
Development of high-strength and lightweight aluminum alloys for automobiles
We target ultra-lightweight metallic materials such as aluminum and magnesium with the aim of creating next-generation automotive materials that are highly energy-efficient. We control the arrangement of atoms in materials and design materials at the atomic level to achieve high functionality. This nanotechnology has enabled the development of lightweight aluminum alloys for automobiles with high strength comparable to steel and formability that allows free shape processing.
Material design at the atomic level allows us to freely determine the properties of metallic materials that are indispensable to our daily lives and to develop materials that match the parts where they are used and the environment. To date, we have achieved energy and material savings by making automotive body panels, engine materials, and heat sinks lighter and 欧洲杯足彩app下载_欧洲杯下注平台-【直播*网站】 functional, thereby contributing to the increased use of low environmental impact materials with low carbon dioxide emissions.