Polymer Science

In this course, you will be taught the basics of polymer science starting from definitions and various kinds of molecular structures of polymers until their properties in solution, melt and bulk material such as in elastomers, gels and polymer glasses.

You will be taught how universal polymer chain theoretical models (ideal chain and excluded volume chain) can describe molecular behavior and chain conformations in bulk or solution for polymers with any chemical structure.

Visco-elasticity of polymer solutions in dilute, semi dilute and melt will be considered from non-entangled to entangled regime in solutions and melts. Chain dynamics, reptation theory and tube models will be considered and you will be taught how to interpret experimental data in the light of those theories.

You will learn how to extend visco-elasticity predictions to the glassy state and how free volume theories describe a polymer glass.

Polymer miscibility and polymer blends, block copolymers self-assembly in solution and in melt and other ordered phenomena in polymers (crystallinity and liquid crystallinity) will also be taught. Finally, main aspects of polymer composites will be taught.

We will give some examples of how polymers are applied and which one(s) to choose for the purpose.