Course Catalogue

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The practical laboratory training of this deactivation course will provide the skills training for the students to determine the deactivation which has occurred on their catalysts prepared in the Prep and Characterisation Lab1 and tested in Testing Lab 2. The deactivated catalysts will be tested for their activity in a liquid phase hydrogenation reaction where rates of reaction, product selectivities will be determined via gas chromatography measurements. With guidance from their supervisor the students will perform a series of characterisation experiments to determine the type of deactivation their samples had suffered. The course will comprise of laboratory based work and analysis of results. At the end of the course you will write a lab report.

90 hours of practical labs (demonstrated and independent lab work), 3 seminars and 4 meetings with the assigned supervisor who will guide analysis of results and the written report.

Admission to MSc programme in Industrial Heterogeneous Catalysis

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1. Laboratory report (75%)

Writing 20%, Presentation and Figures 15%, Organisation and structure 15%, Technical content 40%, References 10%

2. Portfolio mark from the assigned supervisor (10%),

Planning (25%), Initiative (25%), Tech quality of work (25%), understanding of experiments undertaken (25%)

3. Practical skills assessment, from academic in charge of lab (15%),

Following safety 25%, time management 25%, attendance 25%, ability/effort to pick up new skills 25%

The students will be introduced to catalyst deactivation. The catalysts prepared by the students in Lab 1, will undergo treatment by the course staff to cause a level of deactivation for example via carbon deposition, poisoning or sintering. The samples will be returned to the students for Lab 3. The students will use their knowledge of catalyst characterisation and testing from Labs 1 and 2 to test the activity of the deactivated catalysts and determine what type of deactivation has occurred. The course aims to add practical knowledge to the lecture course Activation and Deactivation (CHEM5068) and reinforce the knowledge gained in the lecture courses Preparation of Catalytic Materials (CHEM5074) and Catalyst Structure and Function (CHEM5070).

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Follow the safety protocols of the laboratory, working in ways which show a clear awareness of own and others' responsibilities and demonstrate skills of personal safety, and the safety of others, in a research environment.

2. Follow the instructions to test and characterise a series of catalysts, working effectively under guidance.

3. Show competence in a range of technical skills (experimental and other) related to practical chemistry and deliver accurate output of data and/or critical analysis. In particular, apply their knowledge of catalyst testing to compare their catalyst performance pre and post deactivation.

3. Demonstrate some independent thought by applying their knowledge of catalyst characterisation to design a series of tests to help determine the changes that have occurred to their catalyst samples.

4. Critically analyse their data to determine which type of deactivation had occurred.

5. Use literature searching methods and critically evaluate and interpret research literature in areas related to the project.

6. Write a laboratory report based on the results obtained during their practical weeks.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.