CHEM 773/7730-01 - Polymer Properties and Polymerization
Semester: Winter 2021
Professor: J. Duhamel | Discipline: Polymer |Description
- Refresher on basic concepts: Homopolymers vs. copolymers, molecular weight distributions and averages, polydispersity, free radical addition polymerization.
- Emulsion polymerization: Initiators, surfactants and other components. Polymerization rate and molecular weight control.
- Copolymerization equation, monomer reactivity ratios. Types of behaviors: random, alternating, blocky copolymers. Integrated copolymerization equation. Copolymer microstructure. Multicomponent polymerization. Structural effects, Q-e scheme, kinetics.
- Anionic polymerization: initiation, propagation, termination. “Living” polymerizations. Solvent and temperature effects, reactivity modifiers, stereochemistry control. Cationic polymerization: initiation, propagation, chain transfer, temperature effects.
- Coordination polymerization: Ziegler-Natta catalysts, supported catalysts, stereochemistry control.
- Polymer mixtures. Solution thermodynamics, solubility parameter and variations, Flory-Huggins theory. Applications of solution thermodynamics: plasticization, fractionation, polymer mixtures (blends).
- Polymer self-associations: Close/open association mechanism, supramolecular polymerization.
Materials
Principles of Polymerization (3rd Edition) by G. Odian (Wiley: NY, 1991; QD281.P603 1991), Polymers: Chemistry and Physics of Modern Materials (2nd Edition) by J. M. G. Cowie (Blackie Academic: Glasgow, 1991; QD381.C68x 1991), Elements of Polymer Science and Engineering by A. Rudin (Academic Press: San Diego, 1999; QD381.R8 1999).
Evaluation
| One in class mid-term exam (30% or 0%) on Tuesday February 23rd, 2021 at 8:30 am, a 21/2-hour final exam (50% or 80%), and a 20-30 page report (20%) describing how three main topics described in the course could apply to your research. |
Lab/Project
TBA
Schedule
- Tue: 8:30 am - 9:50 am in Remote
- Thu: 8:30 am - 9:50 am in Remote
