• Understand and describe the manufacture (using both traditional and non-traditional synthesis schemes) of commercially important polymers using concepts from chemical kinetics and equilibrium thermodynamics;
  
  
• Present a basic understanding of the structure of polymer chains in solution (including molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, chain conformation) and methods to characterize polymers in solution;
  
  
• Describe polymer phase behavior using basic Flory-Huggins theory of polymer solutions/melts;
  
  
• Understand the structure of polymers in the solid state and describe the effects of structural organization (i.e. crystallinity, liquid crystallinity, phase separation) on molecular and end use properties of polymers, and recognize the basic stress/strain and viscoelastic behavior of polymers based on a knowledge of structure and thermal properties (e.g., melting and glass transition) and apply the Boltzmann superposition principle and Williams-Landel-Ferry equation to predict viscoelastic behavior of polymeric melts.

HOMEWORK: Bi-weekly homework assignments

EXAMINATIONS: 2 Midterm tests and a Final Examnination

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS: Internet browser software (IE, Netscape) and PowerPoint

PROJECTS: 10 Page (double spaced) written paper

• The nature of polymer materials and polymer microstructure: including branching, networks, tacticity and copolymers;
  
  
• Polymer synthesis: step-growth and chain polymerizations;
  
  
• Kinetics of polymerization: the kinetics of step growth and free radical chain polymerizations; relationship to molecular weight;
  
  
• Statistics of step-growth polymerization: the use of statistics in describing molecular weight distributions in step-growth polymerization;
  
  
• Copolymerization: the kinetics of free radical copolymerization;
  
  
• Structure: chain conformations, amorphous polymers, and the morphology of semi- crystalline polymers;
  
  
• Crystallization, melting and the glass transition: an introduction to crystallization kinetics, melting and glass formation;
  
  
• Polymer solutions: the Flory-Huggins theory and phase behavior;
  
  
• Measurement of molecular weight: osmometry, light scattering, viscosity and size exclusion chromatography; mechanical and rheological properties: stress/strain behavior, visoelasticity, non- linear mechanical and rheological behavior, ultimate properties.

Fundamentals of Polymer Science: An Introductory Text by Paul C. Painter, Steven Strauss, Michael M. Coleman. Woodhead Publishing, Ltd., April 1998. ISBN-13: 9781566765596.

Supplementary textbooks:
Young, R. J. and P. A. Lovell, Introduction to Polymers, Chapman & Hall, London, 1991.

Flory, P. J., Principles of Polymer Chemistry, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1967.

NCSU has recommended minimum specifications for computers used for classes. Depending on your computer needs, we recommend your computer meet or exceed the following minimum specifications below.

PCs must have an Intel-compatible 1 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB hard drive with 1 GB free space available, 256 Color Display, CD-ROM drive, 1024x768 (min.) video adapter, sound card, and speakers. The operating system should be Windows XP Pro. Real One Player Basic (available free online) and high speed Internet connection such as cable, DSL, T1 or LAN will be required for EOL courses.

MAC users must have a G4 processor with firewire and USB factory built-in, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB with 1GB free space available, 256 Color Display, CD-ROM drive, 1024x768 (min) video adapter, sound card, and speakers. The operating system must be MacOS 10.4 (minimum) along with the above RealOne and Internet specifications above.

For more detailed information on computer specifications and recommendations, please refer to our website at: http://engineeringonline.ncsu.edu/currentstudents/computeraccess.htm

Dr. Jan Genzer, Professor
Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Engineering Bldg I (COE I), Box 7905
NCSU Campus
Raleigh, NC 27695

Phone: (919) 515-2069
Fax: (919) 515-3465
Email: jan_genzer@ncsu.edu
Instructor Website: http://scf.che.ncsu.edu