Polymeric Materials

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This course builds on the course Organic Chemistry and is specifically interesting for students opting for the Circular Chemical Engineering concentration. The course covers the chain-of-knowledge in the field of polymer materials required to understand and design polymer materials for a circular economy. First, the basic concepts in polymer chemistry are explained, including polycondensation reactions, ring-opening polymerizations, free-radical polymerizations, polymer architecture and topology. Next, the basic concepts in polymer physics such as single chain dynamics and thermal transitions are covered, followed by the melt behaviour of polymeric materials including visco-elasticity and processing. The last part of the course covers translation from intrinsic materials properties to macroscopic mechanical properties. Finally, the chain-of-knowledge in the field of polymer materials is used to elaborate on the requirements of sustainable polymers, including concepts of biodegradation, chemical and mechanical recycling.