Polymers - 4PMFPOL5

Polymers 1. Introduction Brief history of polymer science; natural and synthetic polymers; Classification of polymers; structure versus properties; Concept of mean average molecular weight; economical importance; polymers and the environment 2. Polymerisation Mechanisms 2.1. Polymerizable monomers (functionality, polymerizability) 2.2. Brief comparison between chain-growth and step-growth polymerization 2.2. Step-growth Polymerization 2.2.1. Main polymers (linear vs tridimensionnal) and related reactions 2.2.2. Molecular weights of linear polymers obtained by step polymerization 2.2.3. Kinetics 2.3. Radical Chain-growth Polymerisation 2.3.1. Elementary steps (initiation, propagation, transfer, termination) 2.3.2. Kinetics 2.3.3. Radical copolymerization 3. Introduction to thermal properties of polymers 4. Coordination Polymerization 5. Ionic Polymerization 6. Polymerization techniques (bulk, solution, suspension, emulsion, miniemulsion) 7. Modification of pre-formed polymers (post-crosslinking, hydrolysis, …) 8. Characterization of polymers 8.1 Viscometry of dilute solutions 8.2 Gel Permeation Chromatography 8.3 Spectroscopy: FTIR and NMR

Basics of chemistry

Semester 7 - The exam is given in english only 

2 h written exam

This course brings 3.0 ECTS to students in