Duration
26h Th, 26h Pr, 1d FW
Number of credits
| Master in geology and mining engineering (120 ECTS) | 5 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This course aims at deepening the knowledge of engineers in the field of raw materials (mining economics) and material flow analysis in a geopolitical context.
Starting from the geological availability of resources and the pricing of raw materials, the course will consider the whole material value chain (supply chain management) with a particular attention to waste and end-of-life products being generated. The Circular Economy and the systemic vision of the raw materials value chain is a core concept of this course.
Students will be trained in using appropriate tools to compute and realize the lifecycle analysis of a product (LCA analysis). By doing so, they will have criteria to decide about the sustainability of some industrial routes.
Several seminars given by industrial partners, economists and lawyers specialized in raw materials and wastes will give the opportunity to students to have a good understanding of the current challenges.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)
Recommended or required readings
Assessment methods and criteria
Students will have to work by groups of two or three on a project. They will be given a product/technology and will have to critically analyse the lifecycle assessment, the resource use and the end-of-life.
Subjects will be distributed at the end of the LCA courses.
A written report will be submitted for each project. This will include an overall presentation and critical discussion on the implementation of a circular economy as well as separate chapters on LCA analysis and specific resources. Separate chapters will be under the responsibility of a given student.
An oral presentation of the work is scheduled during the exam period with questions being adressed to all students over any part of the report.
Evaluation will include an individual note and a group note.
Before attending some courses, students will be given some reading material accompanied by questions to be answered in written form.
Final note will be: written report (68%) oral report (22%) and reading material questions (10%).
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
Contacts
Nadia Elgara, +32 4 3663799