Syllabus for Polymer Science & Technology (CHE 461/543)

Purpose
This course provides a broad overview of polymer science and engineering. The emphasis is
on the synthesis and structure of polymeric materials, the crystalline and glassy states,
solution and melt properties, phase behavior, mechanical and rheological properties.

Objectives
By the end of the course, you should be able to do the following:
 Understand and describe the manufacture (using both traditional and non-traditional
synthesis schemes) of commercially important polymers using concepts from
chemical kinetics and equilibrium thermodynamics.
 Present a basic understanding of the structure of polymer chains in solution
(including, molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, chain conformation) and
methods to characterize polymers in solution.
 Describe polymer phase behavior using basic Flory-Huggins theory of polymer
solutions/melts.
 Understand the structure of polymers in the solid state and describe the effects of
structural organization (i.e., crystallinity, liquid crystallinity, phase separation) on
molecular and end use properties of polymers, and recognize the basic stress/train and
viscoelastic behavior of polymers based on a knowledge of structure and thermal
properties (e.g., melting and glass transition) and apply the Boltzmann superposition
principle and Williams-Landel-Ferry equation to predict viscoelastic behavior of
polymeric melts.

Instructor
Dr. Jan Genzer
Office: EB1 Bldg, Rm. 2088H
Phone: 919-515-2069 (office)
e-mail: [email protected]
Office hours: by appointment

Teaching assistant
Ms. Barbara Vasconcelos de Farias
Office: EB1 Bldg, Rm. 2092
e-mail: [email protected]
Office hours: by appointment

Time & location

Tue/Thu 11:45 AM -1:00 PM, EB3 Bldg, Rm 2232. The lectures can be accessed through the
EOL website.
Textbook
Main text (pick one, the latter – while more pricey – is beautifully done):
 P.C. Painter and M.M. Coleman, “Fundamentals of Polymer Science” ,2nd edition,
Technomic Publishing, Co.: Lancaster, PA, 1997
 P.C. Painter and M.M. Coleman, “Essentials of Polymer Science & Engineering”, 1st
edition, DEStech Publications: Lancaster, PA, 2009

Supplementary text (not required but recommended):

 R.J. Young and P.A. Lovell, “Introduction to Polymers”, Chapman & Hall: London, 2011
 P.J. Flory, “Principles of Polymer Chemistry”, Cornell University Press: Ithaca, 1967

Prerequisites
CHE 316 (Thermodynamics of Chemical & Phase Equilibria) or equivalent. If you have not
taken this course (or its equivalent), please contact the instructor.
 
 
Course material dissemination
All documents made available the course, both electronic and hard-copy, including (but not
limited to), copies of lecture notes, video lectures, homeworks, exams, or any handouts provided,
are intended only for the student's personal use. The students are not allowed to share any
content of the class CHE 461/543 website with a third party (i.e., any person not signed up for
the course this semester, a personal website, a public website, or any other news or advertising
media) without a written permission of the course instructor. You have to provide the signed
document to the instructor within the first 2 weeks of the semester. Failure to submit will result
in incomplete (IN) grade from the course.

Homework
Purpose. Unless the assignment specifies otherwise, you must work on each homework set
individually. Work on your homework diligently, its main purpose is to practice and better
comprehend the material learned in the class and prepare you for the tests. The homework also
contributes a significant portion to the final grade; 1 unit out of 4.5 (CHE 461) or 6.0 (CHE 543).
Format. Begin each problem on a new page, and box the final answers. You can submit either
electronically via moodle or as a hardcopy in class (only on-campus sections).
Due dates (for on-campus students). All assignments are due on the date/time indicated on the
last page of this syllabus. Homework submitted to the instructor until 5 PM (on the due date on
campus and the following day for EOL) counts 50% of the actual grade. Homework submitted
any time after that will be considered as not submitted at all (meaning, you would be assigned 0
points) - it will still be graded, however.

Midterm tests & final exam

General. There will be two midterm tests (open book and open notes) during the semester. The
midterm tests will be held during the lecture (see schedule for details). There will also be a
comprehensive final exam at the end of the semester. The final exam will be a closed
book/closed notes one but the students will have a chance to bring one sheet of paper (maximum
format A4) with their notes on it ("torpedo") - both sides of the paper can be used. It is up to the
students what they put on the "torpedo" - someone may just jot a few simple equations, someone
else would perhaps try to compress all his/her class notes. The test will be designed such that
virtually no information the students did not learn previously in the class is used. If equations (or
other material) not easy to remember are needed, these will be provided by the instructor.
Missed tests/final exam. If you miss a midterm test or the final exam without either a certified
medical excuse or prior instructor approval, zero units will be added into your grade.
Remember, missing the midterm tests and final exam will cost you 2.0 units each of the total
grade!

Individual project
In the graduate version of this course (CHE 543), you are required to write a paper (following
this [*] format) describing the science underpinning a recent technological advance in polymer
science & technology and explaining clearly the implications of this advance for the future of
polymer science and for Mankind. You may use as a source any discovery first described in a
peer- reviewed journal article within the last 5-10 years. To identify potential ideas for this
paper, you are free to ask anyone, read the patent literature, read the peer-reviewed scientific
literature, or use non-peer reviewed trade journals. However, the final document should contain
references to the peer-reviewed literature (patents or journal articles) where the discovery is first
reported, subsequent reports involving the idea, and the literature where its technological
implications are described. Topics that are related to your (or other) graduate research projects
are acceptable. The objectives of this project are: (1) to help you become familiar with the peer
reviewed polymer science literature and with the non-peer reviewed trade literature, (2) to further
develop your research and writing skills, and (3) to provide you with the opportunity to explore
in depth a particular feature of polymer science and engineering. Note that the purpose of the
project is not to review a given topic. Rather, the instructor expects that each student provides
his/her own input and thoughts about the topic. A partial review is acceptable as long as there is
individual and personal critique provided by the student.
We encourage you to discuss your ideas with the instructor at any time during the semester and
to begin preliminary research that will lead you to identify a topic within the next four weeks.
You are required to turn in a one-paragraph description of your idea (including reference to the
essential citations) to the instructor (via email) after first 4 lectures. The instructor will provide
feedback to you regarding the suitability of the topic and provide help in refining your idea as
needed.
The deadline for the Individual project is specified in the detailed schedule below. The project
grade will be determined as follows: suitability and appropriateness of topic (25%), depth of
literature search and review (25%), and clarity/coherence of written document (50%).

                                                            
*
Maximum 10 pages, double spaced or 5 pages/single spaced, 12 size font (Times, Times New Roman,
Arial, or Calibri), 1 inch margins on each side. This page limit does not include references.
Attendance (for on-campus students only)
Attend the class regularly; participation is a vital part of the course. Expect any absences to
negatively affect your grade. Occasionally, the instructor might check your presence during the
lectures or ask the TAs to do the same task during the problem sessions (if applicable). These
will be then taken into consideration if your grade is on the border line between two grades (see
grades).

Grades
A weighted average grade will be calculated as follows:
Midterm exams: 2.0 units
Homework: 1.0 units
Final test: 2.0 units
Individual projects (CHE-543 only): 1.5units

95.50<A+ 90.50<A<95.50 85.00<A-<90.50

80.50<B+<85.00 74.50<B<80.50 70.00<B-<74.50

67.00<C+<70.00 63.00<C<67.00 60.00<C-<63.00

50.00<D<60.00

F<50.00

We do not curve grades in this course. It is theoretically possible for everyone in the class to get
an A (or an F). Your performance depends only on how you do, not on how everyone else in the
class does.
Gray areas between guaranteed letter grades. There will be a gray area around the specified
numerical cutoff grades, within which a +/-system will be used. Two people getting the same
weighted average grade (say, 85) might therefore get different course grades (A- or B+). If you
are in one of these gray areas, your grade depends on whether your class and problem section
attendance was adequate (see attendance) and whether your test performance has been improving
(your grade goes up) or declining (it goes down).

Consulting with faculty

We strongly encourage you to discuss academic or personal questions with the course instructor
during his office hours or after setting an appointment by email.
 Schedule for Polymer Science & Technology (CHE 461/543)
WEEK MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
1 Aug 20, 2018 Aug 21, 2018 Aug 22, 2018 Aug 23, 2018 Aug 24, 2018
PDF: Chapter 0
2 Aug 27, 2018 Aug 28, 2018 Aug 28, 2018 Aug 30, 2018 Aug 31, 2018
PDF: Chapter 1 PDF: Chapters 1,2a
3 Sep 3, 2018 Sep 4, 2018 Sep 5, 2018 Sep 6, 2018 Sep 7, 2018
Labor day PDF: Chapters 1,2a PDF: Chapter 2b
4 Sep 10, 2018 Sep 11, 2018 Sep 12 2018 Sep 13, 2018 Sep 14, 2018
PDF: Chapters 2b,3 PDF: Chapter 3
HW #1 due
5 Sep 17, 2018 Sep 18, 2018 Sep 19, 2018 Sep 20, 2018 Sep 21, 2018
PDF: Chapter 4 PDF: Chapter 5
6 Sep 24, 2018 Sep 25, 2018 Sep 26, 2018 Sep 27, 2018 Sep 28, 2018
PDF: Chapter 7a PDF: Chapter 7a
HW #2 due
7 Oct 1, 2018 Oct 2, 2018 Oct 3, 2018 Oct 4, 2018 Oct 5, 2018
PDF: Chapter 7b Fall break Fall break
8 Oct 8, 2018 Oct 9, 2018 Oct 10, 2018 Oct 11, 2018 Oct 12, 2018
PDF: Chapter 8 PDF: Chapter 8
9 Oct 15, 2018 Oct 16, 2018 Oct 17, 2018 Oct 18, 2018 Oct 19, 2018
PDF: Chapter 9 PDF: Chapter 9
HW #3 due
10 Oct 22, 2018 Oct 23, 2018 Oct 24, 2018 Oct 25, 2018 Oct 26, 2018
Review before TEST 1
TEST 1 HW #4 due
11 Oct 29, 2018 Oct 30, 2018 Oct 31, 2018 Nov 1, 2018 Nov 2, 2018
PDF: Chapter 10a PDF: Chapter 10b
12 Nov 5, 2018 Nov 6, 2018 Nov 7, 2018 Nov 8, 2018 Nov 9, 2018
PDF: Chapter 11a PDF: Chapter 11b
HW #5 due
13 Nov 12, 2018 Nov 13, 2018 Nov 14, 2018 Nov 15, 2018 Nov 16, 2018
PDF: Chapter 11b PDF: Chapter 11b
14 Nov 19, 2018 Nov 20, 2018 Nov 21, 2018 Nov 22, 2018 Nov 23, 2018
Review before Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Thanksgiving
TEST 2
15 Nov 26, 2018 Nov 27, 2018 Nov 28, 2018 Nov 29, 2018 Nov 30, 2018
HW #6 due Review before
TEST 2 FINAL EXAM
16 Dec 3, 2018 Dec 4, 2018 Dec 5, 2018 Dec 6, 2018 Dec 7, 2018
Class project due Review before Review before
FINAL EXAM FINAL EXAM
17 Dec 10, 2018 Dec 11, 2018 Dec 12, 2018 Dec 13, 2018 Dec 14, 2018
FINAL EXAM
8 AM

Lecture notes in PDF format available on the course moodle site.

The on campus tests and the final exam take place in the same room as the lectures (EB3 2232)
HW deadlines
on campus section1 EOL section2
Homework 1 Sep 11, 2018 Sep 7 – Sep 14, 2018
Homework 2 Sep 27, 2018 Sep 25 - Oct 2, 2018
Homework 3 Oct 16, 2018 Oct 12 – Oct 19, 2018
Homework 4 Oct 25, 2018 Oct 23 – Oct 30, 2018
Homework 5 Nov 6, 2018 Nov 2 – Nov 9, 2018
Homework 6 Nov 27, 2018 Nov 23 – Nov 30, 2018

Midterm tests
on campus section EOL section2
Test 1 Oct 25, 2018 (in class) Oct 24 – Oct 31, 2018
Test 2 Nov 27, 2018 (in class) Nov 21 – Nov 29, 2018

Class project
on campus section2 EOL section2
Class project Dec 3, 2018 (via moodle) Nov 29 – Dec 6, 2018

Final exam
on campus section EOL section2
Final exam Dec 13, 2018 (8 AM in class) Dec 6 – Dec 13, 2018

                                                            
1
Submission time: either in class or via moodle (by 11:45 AM)
2
Submission time: via moodle (by 11:55 PM) on the last day of the indicated time period