Module MM4POE
This module is a new interdisciplinary initiative in polymer engineering - it is broadly divided into three sections: polymer chemistry and synthesis; polymer properties and mechanics; polymer processing and design. It is taught by three different lecturers, each an expert in his own area: Dr Derek Irvine, Prof. Andrew Long, and me.
My part of the module is concerned with the properties of polymers, both in the melt state during processing, and in the solid state after processing. The three areas of the course are closely intertwined, and the interactions between chemistry and properties, between properties and processing, and between chemistry and processing, form an essential element of this course.
The module is primarily about engineering polymers, i.e. those used in everyday products whose main role is as a structural element (for example, a printer casing, or a plastic ruler), although much of the material is applicable to other uses of polymers, such as in packaging, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
The first lecture of the polymer properties section deals with structural factors affecting properties, such as crystallinity and the glass transition. The course then moves to rheology of polymer melts, and thermal properties of melts. There are three lectures on the time-dependent behaviour of polymers known as viscoelasticity, covering both phenomenology and modelling. Finally there are two lectures on mechanical properties of polymers, such as yielding and fracture. This forms about a third of the module.
The module website can be accessed from here.
If you are a student enrolled on the module, you can access the course materials from Moodle by clicking here.