Overview
Chemical Engineering : Introduction to the concept of seeing human-generated waste material and energy as valuable resources and to the emerging practices related to resource recovery. Topics: Distribution, availability and geopolitics of natural resources; why do we produce waste?; waste hierarchy; cradle-to-grave, cradle-to-cradle concepts; incentives for recovery; when waste becomes resource: classifying waste (material, energy), challenges associated with large-scale recovery; thermodynamics of waste recovery; resource recovery from residual biomass, wastewater, waste electric/electronic equipment, municipal solid waste, mining industry and flue ashes; waste thermal and mechanical energy harvesting and energy storage; environmental, health and safety considerations, local regulations and international exchanges.
Terms: Winter 2016
Instructors: Coulombe, Sylvain (Winter)