CHEM 771/7710 - Physical Properties of Polymers

Semester: Winter 2025

Professor: J. Duhamel | Discipline: Polymer | Campus: Waterloo

Description

  1. The glassy state and the glass transition: Phenomenology. Free volume, thermodynamic and kinetic theories. Plasticization, molecular weight, cross-linking effects, blending. Structure-property correlations. Dynamic mechanical properties, glassy state relaxations.
  2. Rubber elasticity: Phenomenology, stress-strain measurements. Quantitative treatment of rubber elasticity: thermodynamic and statistical approaches. Affine and phantom network deformation. Cross-linking, swelling, fillers.
  3. Viscoelasticity and flow: Stress relaxation, creep experiments. Mechanical models, element distributions. Boltzmann’s superposition principle. Time-temperature correspondence principle. Static and dynamic moduli, interrelations. Non-linear viscoelasticity. Structural effects: molecular weight, polydispersity, etc. Molecular theories of viscoelasticity.
  4. The crystalline state: Crystallization thermodynamics, crystallite structure. Effect of diluents, copolymerization, cross-linking, other factors. Crystallization kinetics. Polymer single crystals, chain folding mechanisms. Supermolecular structure, effects on mechanical properties.

Introductory polymer science course (e.g., CHEM 370 or 770, ChE 542 or 640, or NE 333, or MNS 322)

Materials

Primary: “Physical Properties of Polymers”, 3rd ed., J.E. Mark et al., Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 2004. TA455.P58 P474 2004 (on reserve for 3 h loans).

Secondary: “Introduction to Polymer Viscoelasticity”, 2nd ed.; Author: John J Aklonis; William J. MacKnight, Wiley 1983. TA455.P58A35x 1983 (on reserve for 3 h loans).

See also QD 381 and TA 455 sections in the library.

Evaluation

Midterm exam (in-class, Feb 27, 2025, 2.5 hours duration, on 1st half of the material): 40-60 %

Final exam (TBA, 2.5 hours duration, on 2nd half of the material): 60-40 %

Final grade is calculated as a 40 – 60 % or 60 – 40 % combination for the midterm and final exam keeping the highest grade.

Lab/Project

TBA

Schedule

  • Thu: 7:00 pm - 9:20 pm in C2 361

Office Hours

C2-169, Ext. 35916 ([email protected])