UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK
Proposal Form for New or Revised Modules (MA1- version 5)
Approval information
Approval Type
Date of
Introduction/Change
New module
Discontinue module
Revised module
1st October 2013
If new, does this module
replace another? If so,
enter module code and
title:
If revised/discontinued,
please outline the rationale Revised to remove Polymer Chemistry MSc (section 11 and 13) and
for the changes:
update learning outcomes (section 19) and assessment methods
for this change (section 9 and 15)
Confirmation that affected
departments have been
consulted:
Module Summary
1. Module Code (if known)
CH3E7
2. Module Title
Colloidal Materials: Bubbles, Droplets and Particles
3. Lead department:
Chemistry
4. Name of module leader
Dr Stefan Bon
5. Level
UG:
PG:
Level 4 (Certificate)
Level 6 (Honours)
Level 7 (Masters)
Level 5 (Intermediate)
Level 8 (Doctoral)
See Guidance Notes for relationship to years of study
6. Credit value(s) (CATS)
7.5 CATS
7. Principal Module Aims
Colloid science is fundamental to a chemistry degree and polymer
science more generally. The area experiences great interest from the
chemical industries across a great variety of application areas, such as
laundry care and personal care products, drug delivery formulations,
food and drinks, coatings and adhesives, agricultural formulations and so
on. The overall aim of this module is to introduce the area of colloid
chemistry and its underlying and founding physical principles.
Module Summary
Capillary forces, wetting/dewetting, interfacial tension, Brownian motion,
electrostatic/steric and depletion forces will be discussed in the colloidal
regime. These physical phenomena will be linked to colloid particle
synthesis (both organic and inorganic), and the formation of emulsions,
bubbles and foams.
Colloid stability and characterization in the sense of
droplet/bubble/particle size distribution via various techniques, rheology
of colloids, chemistry from a material science point of view. Also
traditional and emerging areas of colloidal assembly will be touched
upon.
This module will give the student a solid base in colloid science as part of
their chemistry degree.
8. Contact Hours
(summary)
3hrs per week (15 hrs in total)
9. Assessment methods
(summary)
MChem/BSc 100% Examination
Visiting Students AO and VA
Module Context
10. Please list all departments involved in the teaching of this module. If taught by more than
one department, please indicate percentage split.
Chemistry
11. Availability of module
Degree Code
F100
F101
F102
F105
F106
F107
F121
F122
F125
F126
F127
F1N1
F1N2
C/OC/
A/B/C
Title
Study Year
Chemistry BSc
Chemistry BSc with Intercalated Year
General Chemistry BSc
Chemistry MChem
Chemistry MChem with Professional
Experience
Chemistry MChem with Intercalated Year
Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry BSc
Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry with
Intercalated Year BSc
Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry
MChem
Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry with
Professional Experience MChem
Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry
MChem with Intercalated Year
Chemistry with Management BSc
Chemistry with Management BSc with
Intercalated Year
Visiting Students
3
4
3
3
3
B
B
B
A
A
7.5
7.5
7.5
7.5
7.5
3 or 4
3
4
A
B
B
7.5
7.5
7.5
3
A
7.5
3
A
7.5
3 or 4
A
7.5
3
4
A
A
7.5
7.5
12. Minimum number of registered students required for module to run
10
13. Pre- and Post-Requisite Modules
MChem/BSc
CH242 Introduction to Polymer Chemistry
CH249 Foundations of Electrochemistry and Properties of Solutions
Module Content and Teaching
14. Teaching and Learning Activities
Lectures
Seminars
Tutorials
Laboratory sessions
Total contact hours
3 hrs per week (15 hrs in total)
Credits
7.5
Module Content and Teaching
Module duration (weeks)
Other activity
5 weeks
60 hrs Student reading and revision
(please describe): e.g.
distance-learning, intensive
weekend teaching etc.
15. Assessment Method (Standard)
MChem/BSc
Type of assessment
Examinations
Assessed
essays/coursework
Other formal assessment
Other formal assessment
15a. Final chronological
assessment (please see
guidance)
Length
1.5 Hours
Words
Examination
% weighting
100%
16. Methods for providing feedback on assessment.
Marks for Examination to be provided via Personal Tutor. Assessed work feedback summative and
formation provided on marksheets returned to the students.
17. Outline Syllabus
The module is divided into 15 lectures based on the following syllabus outline:
(1) What is a colloid? The importance of Brownian Motion (Brown, Einstein, Perin) and gravitational forces.
Stokes law. The importance of interfacial tensions (Laplace pressure). When does a water jet turn into
droplets? The capillary length as a correlation between gravitational forces and interfacial tensions.
(2-3) Ostwald ripening of bubbles, emulsion droplets and nanoparticles. Capillary forces: contact angles
(Young’s, Wenzel, Cassie-Baxter), adhesion, imbibition/rise (Jurin’s height), wetting, dewetting of thin
films. Particles at soft interfaces. Examples of responsive/motion inducing surfaces.
(4) Bubbles and Foams. Stability of foams (Ripening/Creaming/Coalescence). Holes in bubbles.
(5) Emulsions. How to emulsify. Stabilization of emulsion droplets. Settling/Creaming, Coalescence,
Ostwald Ripening revisited.
(6) The production of inorganic nanoparticles: La Mer. Particle Nucleation, Particle Growth, Particle Size
distributions.
(7-8) The production of polymer colloids: (Mini)Emulsion polymerization, mechanism of particle formation
and growth. Suspension, Dispersion, Precipitation polymerization.
(9) Anisotropic particles. How to control particle shape, morphology, chemical composition.
(10-11) Colloidal Stability: Electrostatic (DLVO theory), Steric, Depletion and Haloing stabilization. Kinetics
of Coagulation.
(12-13) Characterization of colloids using: Light Scattering, Neutron Scattering, Microscopy, Exclusion
Chromatography, Sedimentation.
(14) Rheology of Colloids: Viscosity, Hard Sphere model. Colloidal Gels.
(15) Assembly of particles. Packing of particles. High solids dispersions and High internal phase emulsions
and light-weight foams. 2D and 3D Colloidal Crystallization. Film Formation. Self-assembly of anisotropic
particles.
18. Illustrative Bibliography
1) Colloid Science: Principles , Methods and Applications by Terence Cosgrove, 2nd ed. WileyBlackwell
(2010) ISBN-10:1444320203 ISBN-13: 987-1444320206
2) Principles of Colloid and Surface Chemistry, Paul C. Hiemenz and Raj Rajagopalan, 3rd Ed. CRC Press
(1997) ISBN-10: 0824793978 ISBN-13: 987-0824793975
3) Polymer Colloids by Robert M. Fitch, Academic Press (1997), ISBN-10: 0122577450 ISBN-13: 987-
0122577451
4) Capillarity and Wetting Phenomena: Drops, Bubbles, Pearls, Waves by Pierre-Gilles de Gennes,
Francoise Brochard-Wyart, and David Quere, Springer (2003) ISBN-10: 0387005927 ISBN-13: 9870387005928
19. Learning outcomes
Successful completion of the module leads to the learning outcomes. The learning outcomes identify the
knowledge, skills and attributes developed by the module.
Learning Outcomes should be presented in the format ”By the end of the module students should be able
to...” using the table at the end of the module approval form:
Resources
20. List any additional requirements and indicate the outcome of any discussions about these.
Approval
21. Module leader’s
signature
Dr Stefan Bon
22. Date of approval
25th March 2013
23. Name of Approving
Learning and Teaching Committee
Committee (include minute
reference if applicable)
24. Chair of Committee’s
signature
Dr Andrew Clark
25. Head of Department(s)
Signature
Prof Mike Shipman
Examination Information
A1. Name of examiner (if
different from module
leader)
Dr Stefan Bon
A2. Indicate all available methods of assessment in the table below
% Examined
% Assessed by other methods
Length of examination paper
100% (MChem/BSc)
1.5
A3. Will this module be examined together with any other module (sectioned paper)? If so,
please give details below.
CH3CHF
Section A CH3E7 Colloidal Materials: Bubbles, Droplets and Particles
Section B CH3E8 Structures and Properties of Advanced Inorganic Materials
A4. How many papers will
the module be examined
by?
A5. When would you wish
the exam take place (e.g.
Jan, April, Summer)?
1 paper
2 papers
March
A6. Is reading time
required?
Yes
X No
A7. Please specify any special exam timetable arrangements.
A8. Stationery requirements
No. of Answer books?
1
Graph paper?
1
Calculator?
1
Any other special
stationery requirements
(e.g. Data books, tables
etc)?
A9. Type of examination paper
Seen?
Yes
No
Open Book?
Yes
No
Restricted?
Yes
No
Examination Information
If restricted, please provide
a list of permitted texts:
LEARNING OUTCOMES
(By the end of the module the student should be able
to....)
Understanding of what is a colloid? The key forces,
Brownian motion, Gravitation, buoyancy. Laplace pressure,
Interfacial tension
Understanding Ostwald ripening and its importance to
nanodroplets and particles. Caplillary forces with respect to
adhesion, wetting and dewetting. Particles at soft
interfaces.
Fabrication of emulsions, inorganic nanoparticles, polymer
colloids. Control of size, morphology. Synthetic aspects.
Basic understanding of mechanism of particle formation and
growth. How to make anisoptropic particles.
Understanding the basics of colloidal stability, particle size
distribution characterization, rheology, and particle
assembly
Which teaching and learning methods enable Which summative assessment method(s) will
students to achieve this learning outcome?
measure the achievement of this learning
(reference activities in section 15)
outcome?
(reference activities in section 16)
directed reading, lectures & web-based learning
Written exam
directed reading, lectures & web-based learning
Written exam
directed reading, lectures & web-based learning
Written exam
directed reading, lectures & web-based learning
Written exam