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Identical coursesPolymer Technology and Materials (B-KUL-X0D28B)
Cannot be taken as part of an examination contractAims
- Students can clarify the concept of chain of knowledge (i.e. the knowledge chain of polymer science) and the importance of polymeric materials;
- Students can define and explain the individual links in the chain of knowledge and clarify the connections between the individual links;
- Students have actual knowledge of theoretical and practical concepts, definitions and results (chemical, physicochemical, physical, mechanical, rheological, processing, product features) covered in the course and they can relate them to the chain of knowledge;
- Students can apply theoretical concepts and results in simple exercises and they can give, understand, and interpret concrete solutions;
- Students can identify relevant (scientific factual) information that is required to complete the exercises in the study material, or where necessary, search for the required information in books, in scientific literature or in trustworthy internet sources;
- For the theoretical concepts and results listed in the “Theoretical concepts and results” available on Toledo, the students can give a correct derivation, identify the approximations used in the derivation, and indicate the implications and limitations of the approximations made;
- For polymer products and materials treated in the course, and for new examples of polymer materials provided by the lecturer, students can 1) demonstrate and document the chain of knowledge, 2) argue how a change in one or more links in the chain of knowledge influences the product properties and 3) make quantitative predictions where possible (at the level of simple exercises mentioned above);
- Students can describe and explain the following aspects: the place of polymers in the field of materials, the various polymer classifications used, the use of feedstocks and energy resources during synthesis, processing and design of polymers, the life cycle of polymers and polymeric materials, the advantages and disadvantages of polymers, the place in the (chemical) industry and in science, and the importance of polymers for society.
- Students can discuss the early days of the polymer industry, when most of the materials were based natural and renewable feedstocks, and why this all changed towards the use of petroleum-based polymers. They are also familiar with the important difference between bioderived and biodegradable and the current application of bioderived polymers in industrial applications.
- Students can also discuss the major polymers that can or are derived from natural and renewable resources, their current state-of–the-art, possibilities and limitations in terms of economics, processing, chemistry and production capacity.
Previous knowledge
The student has knowledge of:
- The following mathematics and physics concepts: vectors, functions, integrals, differentials, complex numbers, series, energy, forces, viscosity, elasticity, electromagnetic radiation (visible light, X-ray, IR), index of refraction, birefringence, polarized light.
- Basic knowledge of atoms, molecules, bonds, molecular interactions, basic organic reactions, and thermodynamics equations of state, or can acquire this knowledge autonomously.
The above mentioned concepts are provided in the Bachelor of Chemistry course at KU Leuven in the modules (dealing with) Physics 1 and 2, Foundations of chemistry, Spectroscopic measuring principles, Molecular architecture, Metals and catalysis, Analytical basic techniques, (Bio)organic chemistry, Molecular architecture, Chemical thermodynamics, and Chemistry of industrial processes.
Identical courses
This course is identical to the following courses:
G0O42B : Polymer Materials
Is included in these courses of study
- Bachelor in de chemie (programma voor studenten gestart vóór 2023-2024) (Kortrijk) (Optie chemie) 180 ects.
- Bachelor in de fysica (programma voor studenten gestart vóór 2024-2025) (Kortrijk) (Doorstroomoptie ingenieurswetenschappen) 180 ects.
- Bachelor in de wiskunde (programma voor studenten gestart vóór 2024-2025) (Kortrijk) (Doorstroomoptie Ingenieurswetenschappen) 180 ects.
- Bachelor in de chemie (programma voor studenten gestart in 2023-2024) (Kortrijk) (Optie chemie) 180 ects.
Activities
6 ects. Polymer Technology and Materials (B-KUL-X0D28a)
Content
Introduction
- Positioning of course
- Polymer Materials, Plastic Materials or Plastics?
- Introducing Polymers…applications of polymer materials
- Making and shaping plastics
- Where do ‘they’ come from?
- End of life & life cycle
- The use of polymers because…
- Polymer Catalogues
- The Chain of Knowledge
- The Future of plastics
Case I. A Polymer Story of Carbon and Hydrogen.
- Products and applications, property versus performance
- Introduction to processing techniques
- Processing techniques for polymers
- The extruder
- Melt flow instabilities
- Polymer melt: viscosity, elasticity and viscoelasticity
- Deformation of liquid & solid polymers
- Polymer melt viscosity vs. polymer melt elasticity and viscoelasticity
- Essential polymer properties in a nut shell
- Single polymer chain behaviour
- More polymer chains: solutions, mixtures and pure melts
- Pure polymer melt
- (Semi) crystalline polymers
- The glass-transition & glassy state
- Mobility in polymers
- Some consequences of basic properties for products & materials
- Properties of solid polymers glassy versus crystalline
- (HD-,LD-,LLD-, VLD-) PE’s
- Properties of liquids polymers melt versus rubber like behaviour
- Consequences for processing
- Polyolefine (polymer) synthesis:
- Historical perspectives
- The first commercial polyethylene grade: low density polyethylene (LDPE)
- free radical polymerization (FRP) of LDPE and other vinyl monomers
- Principles of chain growth polymerization
- Molar mass and molar mass distributions
- Stereoregularity and tacticity
- Tacticity and crystallinity
- Ziegler-Natta polymerization & HDPE
- Limitations of Ziegler-Natta polymerization
- Achieving more control …..metallocene polymerization
- State of the art: stereo-tactic block copolymers
- Classification of polyethylenes
- Polymerization and consequences for molecular structure of ethylene based polyolefins
Case II. The story of rubber: stretchy and bouncing carbon and hydrogen
- The history of rubber: an ancient story
- Natural rubber: All cis-polyisoprene
- The macromolecular hypothesis
- Vulcanization: Charles Goodyear ‘s recipe.
- Synthetic polyisoprene rubber
- Anionic polymerization of isoprene rubber
- Ziegler-natta catalysts
- More synthetic rubbers
- Butyl rubber by cationic polymerization
- Overview of chain growth polymerizations.
- The drawbacks of cross linking & whole new rubbers: thermoplastic elastomer
- Ionomers and block copolymers.
- Living (anionic) polymerisation:a route to block copolymers the SBS case
- What makes rubber a rubber and stretchy? The secrets of rubber revealed
- Thermodynamic and molecular aspects of elasticity
- The rich world block copolymers: Micro phase separated structures
Case III. Proving the Macromolecular Hypothesis, Inventing Nylon and Kevlar
- Polyesters and Polyamides
- Carothers, polyamides and the proof of the Staudinger hypothesis
- Polyamides …. Fibre 66
- Producing Nylon… Scaling Up
- The making of Nylon and Spinning Fibers
- The Impact of Nylon
- Stephanie Kwolek and Aramids
- Naming Nylon and so….
- Step-growth polymerization
- Some theoretical results on step-growth polymerization
- Controlling molar mass
- Molar mass distributions
- How fast can reactions go?
- Kinetics of step-growth polymerization reactions
- Un-catalysed Reaction Kinetics
- Catalysed Reaction Kinetics
- Polyamide Products
Course material
Lecture Notes, Powerpoint presentations and other lecture materials, available on Toledo
Language of instruction: more information
This course is a 3rd year course that fits into the English learning line of the Bachelor program. Students are immersed in English. The lecture notes and lectures are in English.
Format: more information
Lectures with demonstrations on the chain of knowledge,
Lecture(s) by guest(s).
3 ects. Polymer Technology and Materials: Extension to Renewable Polymers (B-KUL-X0D83a)
Content
Case IV. Coming full circle: Revisiting natural polymers and developing new polymers from renewable materials
- State of the polymer industry at the beginning of the 20th century
- Important bioderived polymers before 1940
- Effects of the 2nd World War on the polymer industry
- Current efforts in rediscovering renewable polymers, and current state of the art in a general overview
- Discussion of biggest hurdles to wider uptake
- Difference between bioderived and biodegradable
- View towards the future
Case V. Advanced applications and products from renewable polymers
Discussion on the possibilities, hurdles and limitations in terms of economics, properties, processing, chemistry and production, and current state of affairs of the following bioderived polymers:
Poly(lactic acid)
Lignin
Triglycerides and fatty acids
Starch
Cellulose
Poly(hydroxyl alkanoates)
Proteins
Furans
Course material
Lecture Notes, Powerpoint presentations and other lecture materials, available on Toledo
Language of instruction: more information
This course is a 3rd year course that fits into the English learning line of the Bachelor program. Students are immersed in English. The lecture notes and lectures are in English.
Format: more information
Lectures with classroom discussions on important aspects of each of the discussed polymers
Lecture(s) prepared by each student on a specific assigned polymer
Evaluation
Evaluation: Polymer Technology and Materials (B-KUL-X2D28b)
Explanation
Details on the exam are available on Toledo.