Lecturer: Armando Buttafava   Daniele Dondi  

Course name: Chemistry And Material Sciences
Course code: 504218
Degree course: Ingegneria Civile e Ambientale
Disciplinary field of science: CHIM/07
L'insegnamento costituisce attività di base per: Ingegneria Civile e Ambientale
University credits: ECTS 9
Course website: n.d.

Specific course objectives

The course aim to provide the fundamentals of chemistry that are the basis for handling specific arguments on materials technology.

Course programme

Basics of chemical formulas and chemical reactions
Qualitative and quantitative aspects of chemical formulas and reactions, stoichiometry, principal reaction types.

Radiochemistry
Nuclear stability, radioactive decays, kinetic of radioactive decay, natural radioactive families. Chemical and biological effects of radiations. The environmental radioactivity. Radon.

Basics of chemical bond theory
The hydrogen atom. Electronic configuration of elements and periodic properties. Ionic, covalent, polarized-covalent, coordination and metallic bonds. Molecular geometries. Dipolar moments of molecules. Intermolecular interactions: hydrogen-bond, van der Waals forces and dispersion forces. Ionic and covalent valences of elements of s, p block and first transition row. Oxides, hydrides, anions and cations, salts.

States of matter
Gaseous state: ideal gases and real gases. The ideal gas equation. Gaseous mixtures, Dalton’s law, PVT calculations. Solid state: crystalline systems, Bravais’ lattices, compact structures, reference structures for ionic salts. Covalent (diamonds, graphite, silicon, quartz), metallic and molecular crystals. Liquid state: superficial tension, adhesion and cohesion forces, wettability, vapor tension.

Thermodynamics, kinetics and chemical equilibrium
Thermodynamic state functions. Enthalpy of formation of compounds, heats of reaction, thermodynamic cycles (Hess law), reaction isotherm. The equilibrium in gaseous phase, the equilibrium constant, reaction quotient, the effect of temperature. Basics of chemical kinetics.

Solutions
The measuring units of concentration: molarity, molality, w/w and w/v percent. Liquid-vapor equilibrium, the Raoult’s law. Freezing-point depression, boiling-point elevation, osmotic pressure. Solubility equilibrium (solubility product). Acid-base equilibrium, definition of pH, pH of strong and weak acids and basis. Hydrolysis of anions and cations. Buffer solutions.

Phase equilibria
Phase state diagram of water. Thermal analysis of alloys. Eutectic diagrams and diagrams with total and partial solubility in the solid phase.

Electrochemistry
Electrode potentials and basics of batteries. Standard electrochemical potentials, Nernst equation. Corrosion phenomena of metals, passivation, corrosion protection. Batteries and accumulators in everyday use. Electrolysis.

Tecnology and materials
Polymeric materials and structure/property relationship. Metals and ferrous alloys:steel, cast iron, the Fe/C diagram. Thermal treatments. Ceramic materials. Building materials: lime, hydraulic lime, plaster, cements. Fundamentals of the most important environmental technologies.

Course entry requirements

Course structure and teaching

Lectures (hours/year in lecture theatre): 55
Practical class (hours/year in lecture theatre): 30
Practicals / Workshops (hours/year in lecture theatre): 0

Suggested reading materials

Testing and exams