Course detail

Chemistry of the environment

FAST-BCA004Acad. year: 2022/2023

The course is focused on the explenation of basic chemical terms and on the chemical issues of the building materials such as binders, glass, metals, wood, and plastics and thier degradation. Patr of the course is devoted to the chemistry of water with respect to the wastewater treatment and toxicological aspects of selected chemical substances which can be released to the internal environment of buildings.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

4

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Department

Institute of Chemistry (CHE)

Learning outcomes of the course unit

Not applicable.

Prerequisites

basic structure of atoms, periodic table of the elements, basic chemical laws, basic inorganic and organic nomenclature, simple stoichiometric calculations, basics from organic chemistry.

Co-requisites

Not applicable.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Not applicable.

Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes

The subject exam is oral. During the exam, the student must demonstrate an understanding of the given subject. The evaluation corresponds to the ECTS system.

Course curriculum

1. Inroduction, composition of nuclei, isotopes, radioactivity, atomic stucture.
2. Atomic weight, molecular mass, molecules, chemical equations, stoichiometry, chemical bonds.
3. States of the matter,gases,liquids, solids, behaviour on the interface.
4. Chemical kinetics, reaction rate, catalysis, thermochemistry, chemical equilibrium.
5. Dispersions - gels, suspensions, aerosols, emulsions, coloids, real solutes, surfactants.
6. Silicon and its compounds, chemistry and degradation of glass.
7. Chemical composition and properties of lime, gypsum and hydraulic binders, degradation processes and protection against corrosion.
8. Electrochemical properties of metals, electrolysis, corrosion of metals.
9. Composition and general properties of carbon-based polymers and thier chemical stability.
10.Polymer materials used in civil engineering - structure, properties, utilization.
11. Characteristics of water composition, chemical equilibria in water, pH, calcium-carbonate equilibrium.
12. Water hardness and its elimination, ion exchangers.
13. Basic toxicological terms, essential polutants in the environment.

Work placements

Not applicable.

Aims

Not applicable.

Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences

Extent and forms are specified by guarantor’s regulation updated for every academic year.

Recommended optional programme components

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Pitter P. Hydrochemie, Vydavatelství VŠCHT, Praha, 2015. (CS)
Rovnaník P., Rovnaníková P. Stavební chemie – Modul 1, Obecná, fyzikální a anorganická chemie a chemie anorganických stavebních materiálů, Akademické nakladatelství CERM, Brno, 2014. (CS)
Rovnaníková P., Rovnaník P., Malá J. Stavební chemie – Modul 2, Degradace stavebních materiálů a chemie kovů, Akademické nakladatelství CERM, Brno, 2014. (CS)

Recommended reading

Hewlett P. C. Lea’s Chemistry of Cement and Concrete, Butterworth Heinemann, 4th edition, Oxford, 1998. (EN)
Zumdahl S. S. Chemistry, D. C. Heath and Company, USA, 1986. (EN)

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme BPC-EVB Bachelor's 3 year of study, summer semester, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Syllabus

1. Inroduction, composition of nuclei, isotopes, radioactivity, atomic stucture. 2. Atomic weight, molecular mass, molecules, chemical equations, stoichiometry, chemical bonds. 3. States of the matter,gases,liquids, solids, behaviour on the interface. 4. Chemical kinetics, reaction rate, catalysis, thermochemistry, chemical equilibrium. 5. Dispersions - gels, suspensions, aerosols, emulsions, coloids, real solutes, surfactants. 6. Silicon and its compounds, chemistry and degradation of glass. 7. Chemical composition and properties of lime, gypsum and hydraulic binders, degradation processes and protection against corrosion. 8. Electrochemical properties of metals, electrolysis, corrosion of metals. 9. Composition and general properties of carbon-based polymers and thier chemical stability. 10.Polymer materials used in civil engineering - structure, properties, utilization. 11. Characteristics of water composition, chemical equilibria in water, pH, calcium-carbonate equilibrium. 12. Water hardness and its elimination, ion exchangers. 13. Basic toxicological terms, essential polutants in the environment.

Exercise

26 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Syllabus

1. Information regardeing laboratory session. 2. Basic stoichiometric calculations. Nomenclature of inorganic compounds. 3. Acids and bases. 4. Neutralization and hydrolysis of salts. 5. Oxidation and reduction. 6. Lime, plaster of Paris. 7. Cements and other building materials. 8. Preparation and dilution of sulutes. Calculations from chemical equations. 9. Metals. 10. Composition of water. 11. Water hardness and its removal. 12. Ecotoxicological bioassays their evaluation. 13. Final test.