Structured Organic Particulate Systems in the Chemical Engineering Curriculum

Educational modules on structured organic particulate systems (SOPS) used in pharmaceutical technology have been developed for the Chemical Engineering curriculum. Modules present topics such as drug delivery, pharmaceutical particulate system properties, and powder flow through problem sets, laboratory experiments, and highly visual and cost effective demonstrations. The materials and activities educate students in specific areas of pharmaceutical particulate processing, such as tableting and mixing, and engineering topics, such as material and energy balances. The problems are designed to be incorporated into existing ChE courses by presenting an alternative class assignment or activity related to the core course topics. Initial efforts have focused on introductory chemical engineering courses at the freshman and sophomore level, mass transfer, and senior/graduate electives. The educational development is part of the Rowan outreach efforts associated with the NSF-sponsored ERC on SOPS at Rutgers University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Purdue University and the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez.