Polymer Processing Skills

Full course description

Polymers are deeply rooted in our society as a primary class of materials due to their flexibility to be converted into valuable products through various processing techniques. Today, polymeric materials are used in nearly all areas of our daily life, from medicine and food to transportation, energy, and beyond. Therefore, their production has created major worldwide industries. In recent years, the sustainability of polymers has raised many concerns, and hence, enabling their recycling within circular industrial setups is crucial. This course introduces the students to this topic and addresses its scientific and technological challenges with a focus on thermoplastic polymers.

Polymer processing generally involves transforming polymeric materials from raw and/or recycled resources into the final products. It is a fundamental part of the polymer science and engineering field and is essential to various parts of an intricate industrial complex. Understanding some of the features of polymer processing can be an asset in dealing with production problems encountered not only in the polymer and plastics industry but in the broader scope of manufacturing.

Thermoplastic polymers are often processed in the molten state, where the melt flow in the equipment is at the heart of production. For this reason, polymer processing is intertwined with fluid mechanics and rheology. In this course, students will gain hands-on practice in the processing of thermoplastics in close relation to their rheological and mechanical properties. Furthermore, they will learn the effects of mechanical recycling on the final properties.