Program Overview

Course Overview

The course Industrial Chemistry and Refining, coded as TKP4150, is offered at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). It is a second-degree level course, worth 7.5 credits, and is taught in English.

Course Details

• Duration: 1 semester
• Location: Trondheim
• Examination arrangement: School exam
• Language of instruction: English

About the Course

Course Content

The course deals with the industrial production of fuels and chemicals from fossil and renewable feedstocks. Topics include:

• Norwegian oil and gas production
• Energy from fossil fuels
• Oil refining
• Oil products
• Refinery design and selected processes
• Environmental concerns
• New fuels
• Examples of basic, intermediate, and end products from petrochemistry
• Natural gas and LPG as feedstock
• Synthesis gas production
• Preparation and use of hydrogen
• Methanol synthesis
• Fischer-Tropsch
• Ammonia synthesis
• Production of light olefins
• Use of light olefins
• Introduction to biomass as the feedstock for biofuels and chemicals
• Carbon capture and utilization (CCU)
• Routes to e-fuels (electrofuels)

Learning Outcome

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Describe basic chemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics, catalysis, reactor technology, and process design and layout for key processes in oil refining, gas conversion, and petrochemistry
• Describe the value chains from typical raw materials to key intermediates
• Be aware of issues linked with sustainability of processes and products
• Know about biomass and CO2 combined with renewable energy as alternative feedstocks
• Describe and justify the links between the basic chemical issues and the process and reactor design
• Find, understand, and reproduce information of products and processes

Learning Methods and Activities

The course is given as a combination of self-study, lectures, and exercises in the form of project reports, including student presentations.

Compulsory Assignments

• Exercises

Further on Evaluation

The final examination is the basis for the grade in the course. The exercises must be approved in order to take the exam. If there is a re-sit examination, the examination form may be changed from written to oral.

Recommended Previous Knowledge

Basic chemistry and mathematics, and course TKP4155 Reaction Kinetics and Catalysis or similar knowledge.

Course Materials

• J.A. Moulijn, M. Makkee, A. van Diepen: Chemical Process Technology, 2nd edition, Wiley 2013
• Articles and handouts

Credit Reductions

This course has academic overlap with SIK2057. If you take overlapping courses, you will receive a credit reduction in the course where you have the lowest grade. If the grades are the same, the reduction will be applied to the course completed most recently.

Subject Areas

• Technological subjects

Examination Details

• Examination arrangement: School exam
• Grade: Letter grades
• Ordinary examination - Spring 2026:
  • School exam
  • Weighting: 100/100
  • Examination aids: Code A
  • Date and Time: 15:00
  • Duration: 4 hours
  • Exam system: Inspera Assessment
• Re-sit examination - Summer 2026:
  • School exam
  • Weighting: 100/100
  • Examination aids: Code A
  • Duration: 4 hours
  • Exam system: Inspera Assessment