Fundamentals of Plastics and Polymers

Explore how monomers polymerize into polymers, forming structural and repeating units, illustrated by styrene and nylon 66, and learn about degree of polymerization.

Uncover how plastics are polymers formed by monomers through polymerization, and explore synthetic examples like polyethylene, PET, PVC, and natural polymers such as cellulose and collagen.

Discover common polymer structures such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, PVC and PET, and examine how monomer functionality and polymerization control chain length and polydispersity in plastics.

Classify polymers by origin into natural and synthetic, and by structure into linear, branched, amorphous, crystalline, and cross-linked forms, with examples like polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate.

Explore how polyisoprene chains form cross-linked polymers through vulcanization with sulfur, highlighting how linear, branched, and cross-linked structures affect density, melting point, and properties like swelling and rigidity.

Determine polymer molecular weight by multiplying degree of polymerization by the repeating unit weight, compare Mn and Mw to assess polydispersity, and understand impacts on mechanical, rheological, and optical properties.

Explore methods to determine polymer molecular weight, including weight-average and number-average values, as well as polydispersity, using GPC, ultracentrifugation, end-group analysis, colligative properties, and light scattering.

the lecture shows how the repeating unit structure and pendant groups influence polymer melting points, with examples such as polyethylene, Nylon 66, polyvinyl chloride, and polyacrylonitrile.

Discover how the chemical properties of polymers influence functional performance across processing and use. Learn how primary, secondary, and tertiary structures—covalent bonds and interchain forces—shape crystallinity and material behavior.

Explore how polar and non-polar groups in polymer chains affect polarity, solvent interactions, and properties, highlighting pendant group effects, head-to-tail arrangements, and tacticity—isotactic, atactic, syndiotactic, and cis/trans forms.

Explore how pendant groups and benzene rings influence melting points in polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene, and compare strength by structure across cis, trans isotactic, syndiotactic, and atactic configurations.

Assess polymer quality through mechanical tests, including compressive and tensile testing, elastic modulus, yield strength, ultimate strength, and elongation to fracture; both destructive and non-destructive methods align with international standards.

Explore dielectric constant, conductivity, resistance, flammability, and chemical resistance tests for polymers, and learn to select tests like tensile strength for applications such as cables, semiconductors, and PET bottles.

Explore polymer processing methods, including extrusion, electrospinning, film casting, blowing film extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, thermoforming, 3d printing, and polymer composites.

Explore blow molding for hollow plastics, including parison extrusion, mold forming, air shaping, cooling, and scrap recycling, and describe injection molding with an injection chamber and clamping unit.

Master rotational molding to create seamless hollow parts by loading polymer, heating and rotating the mold, then cooling and ejecting the finished product.

Explore polymer processing methods, including melt spinning with spinnerets and quench cooling to form fibers, wet spinning for solvent-dissolved polymers, and electrospinning for biomedical fibers.

Explore blown film extrusion and solvent casting as methods to form thin polymer films, detailing the bubble process, air cooling, extrusion specifics, and film drying.

explore spin coating to form ultra-thin, uniform polymer films on a spinning substrate. review cable coating, deep coating, glove dipping and vulcanization, thermoforming variants—vacuum, mechanical, and air blowing—and 3D printing.

Explore applications of polymers in flexible organic solar cells, tissue repair, and controlled drug release, highlighting low-cost processing, solvent casting, and biocompatible, biodegradable scaffolds.