AIMS AND CONTENT

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide students with an overview of physico-chemical investigation techniques for material characterization. Its objective is to elucidate the theory under the various techniques in order to understand their application to material analysis, the practical skills required to carry out such analyses depending on the nature of the samples, and the ability to critically interpret the resulting data.

By the end of the course, students will have developed a solid understanding of instrumental physico-chemical analysis methods; they will have learned the theoretical principles underlying the different techniques and cultivated a critical awareness of their strengths and limitations with respect to various types of materials. Students will thus understand the analytical strategies employed in material characterization, gain familiarity with the use of the described techniques, and acquire practical skills in data processing and interpretation.

TEACHING METHODS

The course consists of in person lessons (16 hours) and laboratory sessions (26 hours), divided among the teachers.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The various investigative techniques will first be introduced from a theoretical perspective. Subsequently, the laboratory experiences will focus on the use of instrumentation for material analysis.

The techniques and materials covered during the course include:

• Crystalline materials: Fundamentals of crystallography, analysis by powder X-ray diffraction (XRPD), data analysis and interpretation.
• Magnetic materials: Magnetic measurements and Mössbauer spectroscopy.
• Elemental analysis through X-ray fluorescence (XRF).
• Luminescent materials: UV-Vis analysis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and color analysis.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The lecture notes showed during the lessons will be available in Aulaweb. 

The reference text is the following:

• Engineering Materials Science. Properties, Uses, Degradation, Remediation. H. McArthur, D Spalding, 2004, Woodhead Publishing

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

See https://corsi.unige.it/en/corsi/11634/studenti-orario

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The examination consists in the submission of a personal laboratory notebook and of group reports, plus an oral examination lasting at least 30 minutes in the presence of at least two faculty members from the relevant scientific-disciplinary field.

The personal laboratory notebook must include a detailed account of all experimental and computational activities carried out in the laboratory. It must be written individually by each student.

Group reports should summarize the experiences carried out by the group and should be written in collaboration. For each experience the report should contain a general introduction, a description of the procedure used and comments on the results.

The laboratory notebook and the group reports must be submitted to the teachers within two weeks after the end of the semester.

For students with disabilities or specific learning disorders (SLD), please refer to the Additional Information section.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The assessment consists in a discussion of the laboratory notebook and reports, and an oral examination, during which questions will be asked on topics covered in the lectures.

The evaluation of the achievement of the learning objectives will aim to verify:
a) the students’ acquisition of the theoretical knowledge underlying the various characterization techniques;
b) their ability to navigate the subject matter logically, including through appropriate connections between different topics;
c) their ability to critically analyze the limitations and potential of the investigative techniques in relation to the materials studied, including by comparing different methods;
d) the acquisition of practical skills necessary for the application of the techniques used and for the processing and interpretation of the results.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students with a valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances related to lectures, coursework, or exams should follow the instructions available at https://corsi.unige.it/en/corsi/11634/studenti-disabilita-dsa