3 Credit Hours

This is a graduate student level course on viscoelasticity of polymers and other soft matter. The course is designed to give the students a firm grasp of linear viscoelasticity and the importance of viscoelastic measurements for the interrogation of the physics of polymers and other soft matter, such as colloids and small molecule systems. The course will also delve into other time dependent mechanical properties such as fatigue and failure. Nonlinear viscoelasticity will also be discussed for polymer melts and solutions, colloidal systems, and polymer glasses.

Some expected student outcomes are:

• Be able to use linear viscoelasticity (Boltzmann superposition) to calculate simple loading histories.
• Understand the linear viscoelastic functions and how they are used to interpret behavior soft materials.
• Understand the physics of time-temperature and time-concentration superposition principles.
• Understand concepts of structural recovery and physical aging in glasses, including colloids and how these relate to material performance.
• Understand how natural rubber and its latex forms compare with synthetic polymers and colloidal systems.
• Be familiar with the ideas of polymer mechanical durability.

Grading

Homeworks (But lack of submission and completion of homeworks results in negative points of 20% per homework).	0%
Project	40%
Exams (17.5% exam 1, 17.5% exam 2, 25% Final Exam)	60%

Textbook

John D. Ferry, Viscoelastic Properties of Polymers, 3 rd ed. J. Wiley, New York, 1980.

(Note, earlier versions are permitted and you can discuss with Prof. McKenna options for the text).

Updated: 10/21/2025