Course description

Polymer materials (often referred to as plastics) are made up of long-chain molecules created by joining short molecular building blocks in an arrangement that repeats thousands or even millions of times. Plastics have become a vital part of our daily lives because this conceptually simple architecture, like the rungs of a ladder, enables polymers to display an incredible range of mechanical, optical, chemical, and electronic properties. But as engineers, we need to understand how to produce polymer materials whose properties are tightly controlled and match the needs of a desired application. Join me as we learn how the bulk properties of polymer materials can be exquisitely tailored by making tiny changes to their molecular level structure. We will also learn how to measure and quantify these characteristics so that you will be empowered to tackle some of the most important problems you are likely to encounter in engineering practice. And best of all, if you know how to count you’re already well on your way to becoming a polymer expert!

Course curriculum

This course will teach you how the physical properties of polymers are intimately tied to their molecular-level structure. Whether you're new to polymers or just need a review, this course is for you!
  • 01

    Introduction and Background

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    • 1.1. What are polymers? FREE PREVIEW
    • 1.2. Importance and impact
    • 1.3. A brief history of polymers: From natural to synthetic materials
    • 1.4. A brief history of polymers: Birth of an industry
    • 1.5. A brief history of polymers: Kevlar and specialty materials
    • 1.6. Course learning objectives
    • Chapter 1 quiz
    • Chapter 1 notes
    • Stephanie Kwolek: Curiosity and the discovery of Kevlar
    • Looking Ahead Through Rohm & Haas Plexiglas (1947)
    • Additional resources to learn more about polymers and their history
  • 02

    Structure and Properties of Common Polymers

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  • 03

    Classifying Polymers

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    • 3.1. Classifying polymers
    • 3.2. Atomic and molecular level structure
    • 3.3. Secondary structure and copolymers
    • 3.4. Crystallinity and phase behavior
    • 3.5. Reaction and interactions with the environment
    • 3.6. Polymer tacticity
    • 3.7. Conformation and configuration
    • Chapter 3 quiz
    • Chapter 3 notes
  • 04

    Molecular Weight

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    • 4.1. Introduction to molecular weight FREE PREVIEW
    • 4.2. Number average molecular weight
    • 4.3. Weight average molecular weight
    • 4.4. Example calculation
    • 4.5. Polydispersity and other molecular weight averages
    • 4.6. Number average molecular weight of a mixture
    • 4.7. Weight average molecular weight of a mixture
    • Chapter 4 quiz
    • Chapter 4 notes
  • 05

    Step Growth Polymerization

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    • 5.1. Introduction to step growth
    • 5.2. Common step growth polymers: Nylons, PET
    • 5.3. Common step growth polymers: Polycarbonate, polyurethane, Kevlar
    • 5.4. Degree of polymerization and Carothers equation, part 1
    • 5.5. Degre of polymerization and Carothers equation, part 2
    • 5.6. Molecular weight distributions, statistical background
    • 5.7. Number average molecular weight, part 1
    • 5.8. Number average molecular weight, part 2
    • 5.9. Weight average molecular weight and polydispersity
    • 5.10. Step growth kinetics, part 1
    • 5.11. Step growth kinetics, part 2
    • Chapter 5 quiz
    • Chapter 5 notes
  • 06

    Chain Growth Polymerization

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    • 6.1. Introduction to chain growth
    • 6.2. Free radical polymerization: Mechanisms
    • 6.3. Free radical polymerization: Initiation kinetics
    • 6.4. Free radical polymerization: Propagation and termination kinetics
    • 6.5. Free radical polymerization: Overall kinetics
    • 6.6. Free radical polymerization: Chain length
    • 6.7. Free radical polymerization: Chain transfer
    • 6.8. Free radical polymerization: Molecular weight for disproportionation termination
    • 6.9. Free radical polymerization: Molecular weight for combination termination, part 1
    • 6.10. Free radical polymerization: Molecular weight for combination termination, part 2
    • 6.11. Free radical polymerization: Molecular weight for combination termination, part 3
    • 6.12. Free radical polymerization: Molecular weight for combination termination, part 4
    • Chapter 6 quiz
    • Chapter 6 notes
  • 07

    Copolymerization

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    • 7.1. Introduction and kinetics of propagation
    • 7.2. Applying the kinetic model to quantify copolymer composition
    • 7.3. The copolymer equation: Fundamentals
    • 7.4. The copolymer equation: Predictions
    • 7.5. Composition drift
    • 7.6. Number average sequence length, part 1
    • 7.7. Number average sequence length, part 2
    • Chapter 7 quiz
    • Chapter 7 notes
  • 08

    Ionic Polymerization

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    • 8.1. Cationic polymerization
    • 8.2. Anionic polymerization: Initiation
    • 8.3. Anionic polymerization: Chain length
    • 8.4. Anionic polymerization: Molecular weight, part 1
    • 8.5. Anionic polymerization: Molecular weight, part 2
    • 8.6. Anionic polymerization: Molecular weight, part 3
    • 8.7. Anionic polymerization: Molecular weight, part 4
    • 8.8. Anionic polymerization: Polydispersity
    • Chapter 8 quiz
    • Chapter 8 notes
  • 09

    Polymerization Methods

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    • 9.1. Homogenous polymerization methods
    • 9.2. Heterogeneous polymerization methods
    • Chapter 9 quiz
    • Chapter 9 notes
  • 10

    Polymer Chain Dimensions

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    • 10.1. Descriptors of polymer coil size FREE PREVIEW
    • 10.2. Mean square end-to-end distance
    • 10.3. Freely jointed chain model
    • 10.4. Freely rotating chain model
    • 10.5. Bond rotation constraints and the characteristic ratio
    • 10.6. Radius of gyration
    • 10.7. Long-range interactions and solvent quality
    • Chapter 10 quiz
    • Chapter 10 notes
  • 11

    Molecular Weight Measurement

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    • 11.1. Overview of measurement techniques
    • 11.2. Osmotic pressure, part 1
    • 11.3. Osmotic pressure, part 2
    • 11.4. Dilute solution viscometry, part 1
    • 11.5. Dilute solution viscometry, part 2
    • 11.6. Dilute solution viscometry, part 3
    • 11.7. Gel permeation chromatography, part 1
    • 11.8. Gel permeation chromatography, part 2
    • Chapter 11 quiz
    • Chapter 11 notes