About the program
A Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, and Environmental Processes are fundamental segments of contemporary technology, as there is no development without the use of some type of energy, without the need for materials with specific properties, and without the associated care for environmental protection. Therefore, chemical and materials engineering are essential in the development or optimization of processes used in both basic industries (refineries, oil and gas, steelmaking, non-ferrous metals, etc.) and cutting-edge industries (synthesis of special catalysts, electronic components, advanced ceramics, superalloys, etc.). The training of engineers with these qualifications shares several common points, which can be identified and enhanced through a postgraduate course that includes projects with interconnected visions and proposals. The importance of these engineering fields in the evolution of civilizations is clearly identified by the constant improvement of materials as well as the increasing sophistication of devices that constitute a large part of contemporary products used in the energy generation and distribution, automotive, naval, aeronautical, computer, and telecommunications industries. Within this context, the Postgraduate Program of the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at PUC-Rio was established in a pioneering way in Brazil, encompassing fundamental areas for technological development and, thus, being named... Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, and Environmental Processes.
The Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering (DEQM) is part of the Scientific and Technological Center (CTC) of PUC-Rio, and all its professors in the Postgraduate Program also teach undergraduate courses. The infrastructure available in the laboratories includes modern equipment geared towards various areas of knowledge, including mineral beneficiation, chemical processing, composite fabrication, mechanical behavior, optical microscopy, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, digital image processing, and computing. In recent years, the professors of the DEQM Postgraduate Program have coordinated several projects sponsored by funding agencies and companies, which have allowed for continuous improvement of the research infrastructure of its laboratories.
In terms of projects, it is noticeable that recently there is a clear interest in developing those associated with multidisciplinarity or related to environmental preservation. In the first case, synthesis and characterization projects can be cited, which require knowledge of processes, modeling, optimization, and material structure, while in the second, there is a notable involvement with wastewater treatment, process water recovery, and the utilization of industrial waste. Finally, it is important to highlight the increasingly implemented possibility of training that includes an exchange with universities abroad, through stays in the laboratories of these institutions for a period that can vary between 3, 6, and 12 months.
O The Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering (DEQM) is involved with all levels of academic training (undergraduate, master's, and doctoral) in the areas of synthesis, processing, characterization, and properties of materials in general and their various relationships with the environment. Its participation in these teaching and research activities allowed the Department to initiate its Master's and Doctoral Programs in 1971 and 1991, respectively. The continuous pursuit of maintaining a high academic and research standard has been, over the years, one of the hallmarks of DEQM, which has therefore undergone frequent processes of improvement of its teaching/research infrastructure, as well as occasional restructurings of its Postgraduate Program, whether involving only an update of research projects and offered courses or, as more recently, of the Program's name itself, its Areas of Concentration, and Research Lines. Through these initiatives, DEQM has been constantly evolving to better meet the demands of technological development, both in terms of its work in new areas of knowledge and in the training of professionals capable of responding to the new challenges and demands of the job market.
The new curriculum structure aims to adapt the DEQM Postgraduate Program to the demands of sectors involved in chemical engineering, materials engineering, and environmental processes. Over the past few years, the program has maintained an average enrollment of slightly over 100 students (Master's and Doctoral), consistent with the size of its faculty, which is expected to reach 20 supervising professors. The DEQM Postgraduate Program allows access to graduates with diverse backgrounds, thus enabling a wide range of professionals to engage with areas related to processes, optimization, materials characterization, and green chemistry.
The Master's program aims to enhance basic training and develop the capacity for involvement in development projects. It also constitutes an initial step for students with a vocation for research who desire more in-depth knowledge through a doctorate. It grants the title of "Master in Chemical, Materials and Environmental Processes Engineering". Since its creation in 1971, it has already graduated more than 300 masters. It offers scholarships from CAPES, CNPq and FAPERJ for full-time students, in addition to enabling the exemption of university fees and/or the granting of scholarships associated with projects, for specific situations. It is among the best master's programs in the country in the Engineering II area of CAPES.
The doctoral program aims to train highly qualified professionals destined to occupy prominent positions that demand great creative capacity and independence, which result from a stronger scientific foundation. It awards the title of "Doctor of Chemical, Materials and Environmental Process Engineering". Started in 1991, it has experienced rapid expansion, having already graduated more than 80 doctoral students, many of whom are now at the best universities and research centers in Brazil and abroad, or involved with companies and government institutions. It offers scholarships from CAPES, CNPq, and FAPERJ for full-time students, in addition to facilitating the waiver of university fees and/or the granting of project-related scholarships for specific situations. It ranks among the best doctoral programs in the country in the Engineering II area of CAPES.
OThe now-defunct Department of Materials Engineering (DEMa) was the creator and head of the current Postgraduate Program in "Materials Engineering and Chemical and Metallurgical Processes," whose Master's and Doctoral programs were created in 1971 and 1991, respectively, and which are characterized by conducting diverse lines of research, identified as both basic and technological aspects; all within two Areas of Concentration called "Materials" and "Processes."
With the transformation of the Department of Materials Engineering (DEMa) into Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering (DEQM) And with the consequent absorption, by this new Department, of the undergraduate courses in "Chemical Engineering" and "Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology," it became necessary to hire new professors for the Main Faculty who would stand out for developing teaching and research activities directly related to Chemical Engineering. Therefore, the DEQM currently has five new professors who work, for example, in Chemical Processes, Modeling and Optimization, Neural Networks, Thermodynamics, Catalysis, Energy, and Green Chemistry.
Within this new context, an update to the DEQM Postgraduate Program, called "Materials Engineering and Chemical and Metallurgical Processes," has become absolutely natural, and even necessary. in a program that incorporates, in a more consistent and clear way, the lines of research and projects that have been developed with the presence of the new professors, but, at the same time, maintaining those research areas already established and recognized within the scope of the older professors, and also incorporating a future perspective.
Thus, the new PG Program of DEQM, with the name Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, and Environmental ProcessesIt includes three "Areas of Concentration," allowing all "Projects" under development and coordinated by professors to be included within new "Research Lines," thus synthesizing what is actually being done in terms of research, development, and interdisciplinarity at DEQM.
For each of these areas, new courses were created, and some courses that were already part of the old program had their syllabi and bibliographies revised and updated, while others were removed.
Taking advantage of the opportunity to update the DEQM Graduate Program, it became opportune and convenient to modernize the Curriculum Structure, including mandatory and elective courses by areas of concentration.
The following pages present the Program, along with its Objectives. Next, the Areas of Concentration are presented with their respective Research Lines. Finally, the Curriculum Structure and the conditions for completing the Master's and Doctoral degrees are described. To conclude, the projects under development in the Program and a list of Laboratories, including the responsible person, main activities, and available equipment, are included as an appendix.
