Chemical Technology

Laboratory safety including the safe handling of laboratory chemicals with reference to WHMIS is emphasized. Characteristic laboratory hazards are identified and precautions for flammable, toxic and corrosive materials, compressed gases, electricity, cryogens, and insidious substances are described. Appropriate personal protective equipment is discussed. In laboratory, students are taught frequently used laboratory skills including laboratory documents, weighing, pipetting, filtration, solution preparation, titration, and glassware cleaning and maintenance. The importance of calibration curves, control charts and the determination of determinate and indeterminate errors are emphasized.

CHEM1131 introduces the students to selected chemical principles and emphasizes the relationships between the microscopic structure and the macroscopic properties of matter. Topics covered: the quantum mechanical model of the atom and the relationship between electron configuration and chemical behaviour; chemical bonding; chemical equilibrium; acid-base equilibria and solubility equilibria.

This course provides the student with the basic knowledge and skills required to master inorganic nomenclature; solve calculations involving chemical formulas, chemical equations, solution concentrations, acid/base and redox titrations, and electrochemical cells. The student will also learn about the component parts and applications of electrochemical cells. The lab portion introduces the students to making observations, recording and determining chemical and physical properties of matter. Students investigate the potentiometric determination of equivalence points, equilibrium constants, Henderson-Hasselbalch and the Nernst equation.

Introductory Organic Chemistry theory begins with the structure and bonding of elements found in organic compounds, followed by an introduction to the main functional groups. Nomenclature, stereochemistry, physical properties (including infrared spectral properties), chemical reactions and uses are then investigated for alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, alkyl halides, aromatics, alcohols, phenols, ethers and sulfur compounds. The laboratory portion of the course introduces the techniques of filtration, crystallization, extraction and distillation (simple, fractional, steam). The physical properties of melting points, boiling points, refractive indices and infrared spectra are measured for selected organic compounds. Synthetic reactions are performed which illustrate those covered in the theory.

This course is for Chemical Technology students. The course introduces students to exponents, radicals, fractions and factoring manipulations, exponential and logarithmic functions, graphs, quadratic equations, plane analytic geometry, approximating measured values, unit conversions, and systems of linear equations. The course continues with fundamentals of statistics where topics include: solving problems using measures of central tendency and dispersion, linear regression, calculating probabilities using normal and sampling distributions of the mean and proportion, and solving problems using hypothesis tests to infer means and their differences. The lab portion of this course introduces the student to fundamentals and statistical applications of Microsoft Excel. Upon completion of the lab portion of this course, students will be able to use Excel to create and manipulate drawn objects and formulae in spreadsheets, perform charting and regression analysis, and use macros in spreadsheets.

Students are introduced to methods of sampling, sample preservation and sample preparation; quantitative analysis theories, methods, and experimental applications emphasizing titrimetry, gravimetry and spectrophotometry; and the assessment of analytical results using statistics and determination and minimization of errors associated with analytical methods.

Intermediate Organic Chemistry theory begins with an introduction to the basic principles and instrumentation for gas chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography. It is followed by a review and expansion of the topics covered in Introductory Organic Chemistry. This includes the nomenclature, structure, physical properties, chemical properties and uses of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, alkyl halides, aromatics, alcohols, phenols, ethers and sulfur compounds. The course then continues with an investigation of compounds containing amine, aldehyde, ketone, carboxylic acid, amide, ester, acid halide, anhydride and nitrile functional groups. The course concludes with a unit on biologically significant molecules. The laboratory portion of the course focuses on performing synthetic reactions which illustrate those covered in the theory portion of both Introductory and Intermediate Organic Chemistry. The new techniques of thin layer chromatography, vacuum distillation and gas and liquid chromatography are introduced. These new techniques are used to isolate and characterize the synthetic products.

This course covers the theory, calculations and lab investigations pertaining to ideal and real gases, the liquid state, phase diagrams, immiscible and partially miscible mixtures, distillation of both azeotropic and non azeotropic solutions, colligative properties, adsorption, absorption, reaction kinetics and the first, second and third laws of thermodynamics.

This course reviews English skills and their application to business and technical writing. The course concentrates on skills in writing, researching and analyzing information, critical thinking, and formal public speaking. Students will also apply an understanding of foundational ethical principles as they relate to the workplace and practice interpersonal communication skills appropriate to the workplace environment.

The course identifies the properties of electromagnetic radiation and describes how they are utilized in different spectrometers. The properties of magnetic fields and principles of electronics are also described to calibrate and troubleshoot instruments used in Chemical Technology.

This course examines current quality assurance practices used by the chemical industry. Topics include: ISO 17025; good laboratory/manufacturing practices; laboratory quality control; introduction to measurement uncertainty; laboratory proficiency; method validation; and accreditation. This course is also a continuation and extension of CHEM1121 – Safety and Techniques. Topics include: discussion of incident investigations; safety audits; storage and disposal of chemicals; radiation hazards; chronic toxins (including carcinogens and mutagens); and hazard assessments. This course also prepares students for their applied research project to be completed in PMGT2400. The emphasis of the course is on the work environment of the chemical technologist.

The theory portion of the course covers an introduction to modern chemical industries, material balance calculations and industrial process flow charts. Industrial unit operations include distillation, flotation, crystallization, settling and filtration. Industrial chemical processes will examine fertilizer production, oil sands extraction, inorganic acids syntheses, wood pulping and selected petrochemical processes. The course includes a unit on the principles and processes used in green industrial chemistry. Laboratory work provides exposure to practical bench scale experiments dealing with unit operations and chemical processes used in industrial manufacturing. Wet chemical analyses and stoichiometric calculations are used to evaluate the purity of laboratory products.

The theory covers the application of chemical and physical principles to the formation, upstream processing and downstream processing of oil and gas. The processes used in these industries will be discussed in light of the chemical and physical properties of the feedstocks and the desired market products. The laboratory focuses on the analysis of raw materials and market products. The laboratory work exposes the student to representative industry standard and ASTM analytical procedures, as well as data analysis and quality control.

This course describes and utilizes the theory of chromatographic separations. Gas and liquid chromatography instrumentation, column efficiency, resolution, qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques, and column choices based on applications are discussed. Sample preparation methods relevant to chromatography are described and applied in the laboratory experiments. Students conduct experiments using gas and liquid chromatography instruments. Injection techniques, temperature programming, and gradient elutions are performed. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of prepared and real samples are completed.

This course introduces the fundamental principles of spectroscopy. The operation, design and limitations of instruments used in molecular spectroscopy are discussed. UV-visible, fluorescence, infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy are explained and these techniques are used in quantitative analysis and the structural identification of unknown samples. The effects of various operating parameters on analytical data are evaluated and the importance and implementation of quality assurance and quality control in the analytical laboratory are emphasized.

Common laboratory procedures used to quantitate proteins in solution, measure enzyme activity, and perform protein purification are discussed. Common types of food analysis and an introduction to the growth of microorganisms are presented. Selected immunological methods and their current applications are examined. In the laboratory portion of the course biomolecules from various sources are isolated and characterized using common procedures and analytical instruments. Protein purification, enzyme activity assays, gel electrophoresis, and immunologically-based assays are introduced and performed. Analysis of selected food products using standard industry methods is included.

This course focuses on the principles of operation, the design and the limitations of instruments used in atomic spectroscopy and electroanalytical chemistry. Flame and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy, atomic emission spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, potentiometry, coulometry and conductimetry are explained and these techniques are used in the quantitative analysis of samples. The effects of various operating parameters and interferences on analytical data are also evaluated. In addition, the techniques of X-ray fluorescence and electron spectroscopy are discussed.

This course focuses on the practical application of advanced concepts in chromatographic and spectroscopic analysis. The instrument control, data analysis and data presentation features of chromatography data systems are explored, with emphasis on peak detection and integration. Data acquisition and signal to noise enhancement are also covered. Advanced sample handling techniques in chromatography and infrared spectroscopy are discussed. The principles of mass spectrometry are explained, and its use as a tool for qualitative and quantitative analysis when coupled with ICP or chromatographic instruments is examined.

A broad overview of the importance of environmental chemistry is introduced with presentations and discussions of recent global environmental incidents. Atmospheric chemistry and the complex nature of atmospheric reactivity is explained and directly related to a variety of atmospheric pollution scenarios, including photochemical smog formation and ozone depletion. Aquatic chemistry relative to the hydrological cycle is explained followed by a discussions of different water pollutants. Gas exchange, natural buffering systems and the importance of pH relative to heavy metal solubility is discussed. Soil chemistry and characterization will be discussed, with a focus on common types of pollutants and the soil's impact on pollutant retention. Laboratory experiments of the course consist of the application of analytical methods used in monitoring air, water, and soil quality. Both laboratory and field analytical methods, including but not limited to gas and liquid chromatography, atomic absorption spectrometry, HACH® methods, and titrations are used. Prior completion of Molecular Spectroscopy (CHEM2362) is strongly recommended for success in this course.

This course is designed to develop skills in project management using literature searches, budgeting, purchasing, experimental design and reporting of results. Quality management and teamwork skills will be emphasized. The final results of the project are presented in written form and orally to an audience.