ECTS credits ECTS credits: 3
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Hours of tutorials: 1 Expository Class: 6 Interactive Classroom: 20 Total: 27
Use languages Spanish, Galician
Type: Ordinary subject Master’s Degree RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Departments: Chemistry Engineering
Areas: Chemical Engineering
Center Higher Technical Engineering School
Call: Second Semester
Teaching: With teaching
Enrolment: Enrollable | 1st year (Yes)
The basic objective of this subject is to introduce students to the different basic tools and methodologies available both in the Department of Chemical Engineering and in the general services of the USC and to apply some of these methodologies to determine the most important parameters for subsequent use in monitoring, modelling and control activities of the different processes used.
The contents to be developed in the subject are directly related to those indicated in the descriptors of the same: ‘Review of the different basic methodological tools available in R+D. General research support equipment and services at the USC. Instrumental and analytical techniques in research laboratories of the Department of Chemical Engineering of the USC. Methodologies for the interpretation and application to research of the results obtained. Waste management in R&D laboratories’.
These contents will be developed in the following seven units:
Unit 1. Characterisation of total environmental samples. Physical parameters: sedimentation velocity, volumetric indices, density and particle size. Composition: solids content (ST, SV, SST, SSV), organic matter content (COD), Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen, carbohydrates, proteins and lipids.
Unit 2. Characterisation of environmental samples in soluble phase. Spectrophotometry, gas chromatography, TOC, NT, HPLC, FPLC, NMR, GC-MS, spectroscopy, multiparametric analyser.
Unit 3. Assessment of biological activities. Respirometry. BOD5. Methanogenic activity. Toxicity and inhibition. Microtox. Enzyme activities. Measurement of antioxidant activity of natural substances.Antimicrobial activity.
Unit 4. Microbiological techniques in pure and mixed cultures. Microbiological characterisation of biomass. Identification: DNA extraction, quantification and sequencing, FISH. Sterilisation. Cell disruption. Protein purification.
Unit 5. Techniques based on the measurement of physical properties: thermogravimetric analysis, calorimetric techniques, thermal analysis techniques (DSC and DMA). Rheology and texture. Characterisation of porosity and specific surface area. Determination of zero load point. Surface tension. Viscosimetry and densimetry. Gravimetric analysis by means of magnetic suspension balance.
Unit 6. Research support equipment and infrastructures at the USC (RIAIDT): Magnetic resonance. X-rays. Electron and confocal microscopy. Mass spectrometry. IR-Raman spectroscopy. Elemental analysis. Thermogravimetric analysis. Calorimetric techniques.
Thermal analysis techniques (DSC and DMA). Instituto de Cerámica de Galicia. Aula de productos lácteos y tecnologías alimentarias.
Unit 7. Waste management in R&D laboratories of the USC. Identification and classification of waste. Liquid and solid waste management.
Basic bibliography
• APHA. Standard Methods for Examination of Water and Wastewater. Washington, D.C.: American Public Health Association, 2017. ISBN 9780875532356. Available at: https://doi.org/ISBN 9780875532356
Complementary bibliography
• SOTO, M., MENDEZ, R. y LEMA, J.M. Methanogenic and non-methanogenic activity tests: theoretical basis and experimental set up. Water Research, 1993, vol. 27, pp. 1361-1376. ISSN 1879-2448.
• ROCA, P., OLIVER, J. y RODRÍGUEZ, A.M. Bioquímica: técnicas y métodos. Madrid: Editorial Hélice, 2003. ISBN 84-921124-8-4. Available on line.
• https://www.usc.gal/gl/investigar-na-usc/RIAIDT
Knowledge:
(CN02) To acquire advanced knowledge and demonstrate, in a scientific and technological or highly specialised research context, a detailed and grounded understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects, and methodology of work in one or more fields of study in Chemical Engineering.
Competence:
(CP03) To design products, processes, systems and services of the chemical industry, as well as the optimisation of others already developed, taking as a technological basis the various areas of chemical engineering, comprising processes and transport phenomena, separation operations, and engineering of chemical, nuclear, electrochemical, and biochemical reactions.
(CP04) To design, construct and implement methods, processes and installations for the integral management of supplies and waste, solid, liquid and gaseous, in industries, with the ability to assess their impacts and risks.
Ability:
(HD01) To have ability to solve problems that are unfamiliar, incompletely defined, and have competing specifications, considering possible solving methods, including the most innovative ones, selecting the most appropriate one, and to be able to correct the implementation, evaluating different design solutions.
(HD09) To approach problems from a scientific perspective, recognising the importance of searching for and managing existing information.
In the lectures, the theoretical foundations of the different techniques and methodologies will be presented, which will be seen later in the laboratory sessions (CN02, HD09).
In the laboratory sessions (compulsory attendance), some of the methodologies presented in the lectures will be developed in a practical way. Part of these hours may also be used to visit the laboratories of the Department of Engineering, the RIAIDT facilities, the ceramics institute and the dairy products classroom (CN02, CP03, HD09).
Students will have to carry out a compulsory work (individually or in teams of two) on one of the techniques available in the Area of Research Infrastructures (RIAIDT), which must be presented during the group tutorial (compulsory attendance) (CP04, HD01).
Individual tutorials will be used to solve any question related to this compulsory work or any other of the subject.
Individual tutorials will be used to resolve any question related to this compulsory work or any other of the subject.
The Learning Management System will be used for the following purposes:
- To provide information about the subject (teaching guide, timetables, exams, announcements, etc.).
- To provide didactic material for the classes (slides of the subjects, case studies, complementary material, etc.).
- Serving as a means of communication between students and teaching staff.
- Handing out assignments.
The evaluation system consists of 4 different parts:
- Final exam (compulsory): 30% (CN02, CN03, CP01, HD01, HD11).
- Laboratory report (compulsory): 30% (CN02, CN03, CP01, HD01, HD11).
- Group tutorial (compulsory): 30% (CP03).
- Teacher's report: 10% (CN02, CN03, CP01, HD01, HD04).
A minimum score of 4 out of 10 is required in each section, except in the teacher's report. Grades above this minimum will be retained for the second opportunity. No grades will be retained among different academical courses.
Attendance at lectures is not compulsory but highly recommended, and may form part of the assessment in the section Teacher's report, in which attendance and participation in lectures and laboratory classes will be assessed.
For cases of fraudulent performance of exercises or tests, the ‘Normativa de avaliación do rendemento académico dos estudantes e de revisión de cualificacións’ (Regulations for the evaluation of students' academic performance and revision of qualifications) will apply.
The workload of the subject is equivalent to 3 ECTS, with 1 ECTS credit corresponding to 25 hours of total work, distributed as follows:
Activity Hours Attendance (%)
Lectures 6 100
Laboratory 20 100
Group tutorials 1 100
Examination and revision 2 100
Personal work of students 46 0
Given the practical nature of the subject, attendance and active participation in the different teaching activities is essential.
The subject will be taught in Spanish.
The admission and permanence of students enrolled in the practical laboratory requires that they know and comply with the rules included in the Protocol of basic safety training for experimental spaces of the ETSE, available in the safety section of its website, which can be accessed in this way:
1. Access the ETSE intranet.
2. Go to the Governance and Management/Security/Teaching Forms tab.
3. Click on ‘Protocolo de formación básica en materia de seguridad para espacios experimentales’.
Gemma Maria Eibes Gonzalez
- Department
- Chemistry Engineering
- Area
- Chemical Engineering
- gemma.eibes [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Lecturer
Marta Carballa Arcos
Coordinador/a- Department
- Chemistry Engineering
- Area
- Chemical Engineering
- Phone
- 881816020
- marta.carballa [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Lecturer
| Tuesday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | Classroom A6 |
| Friday | |||
| 12:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | Classroom A6 |
| 05.29.2026 10:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLIL_01 | Classroom A6 |
| 05.29.2026 10:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom A6 |
| 06.07.2026 10:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLIL_01 | Classroom A6 |
| 06.07.2026 10:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom A6 |