Sustainable Materials

The course covers the basics of sustainable materials and substance classes as they typically occur in nature and can be used (after treatment). Raw materials: fossil versus renewable raw materials. Overview of availability, extraction, purification, basic aspects of processing renewable raw materials; definitions of terms in the field of sustainable materials; focus on organic sustainable materials (organic molecules, polymers/plastics, cellulose & papers, textiles); inorganic materials (steel, aluminum, cement/ceramics, rare earth metals) are treated for the overall picture and presented in the course of case studies; characteristic structure-property relationships or property profiles of materials made from renewable raw materials. Characteristic structure-property profiles of materials made from renewable raw materials; New materials made from renewable raw materials with a focus on packaging and in some cases biomedicine; Brief overview of the degradation and recycling of organic/inorganic materials and materials and recyclables; Consideration of CO2 cycles and balances of sustainable materials; Identification of current solution approaches and critical consideration; Consideration of water cycles in the course of the treatment, new creation and regeneration of sustainable materials