B. Course Syllabi for Materials Engineering

1. Course Name: Mat E 351 Introduction to Polymeric Materials

2. Catalog Description: Mat E 351. Introduction to Polymeric Materials. (3-0) Cr. 3. Polymers in everyday life, nature of polymeric materials. Organic chemistry review of step, chain (free radical, anionic and cationic) and ring opening polymerization reactions, kinetics and thermodynamics of polymerization reactions, polymer structural design and control, polymer property prediction, synthesis of polymer networks and crosslinking reactions, copolymerization, recent advances in coordination, block and graft copolymers and dendrimers. Nonmajor Graduate Credit.

3. Prerequisites: Mat E 211.

4. Textbook/Materials: Principles of Polymer Engineering, 2nd Ed., McCrum, N.G., Buckley, C.P., and Bucknall, C.B., Oxford, New York, 1997, (ISU Library ref. Parks TA455.P58 M334 1997); References: Fundamental Principles of Polymeric Materials, 2nd Ed., Rosen SL, Wiley, New York, 1993; Principles of Polymer Systems, 4th Ed., Rodriguez, F, Taylor and Francis, Washington, DC, 1996; Introduction to Polymers, 2nd Ed., Young, R.L., Lovell, P.A., Chapman & Hall, New York, 1991; CourseWorks - Introduction to Polymers and Composites, Otaigbe, J.U., ISU Book Store, 1999. (Note: This selection is available at http://mse.iastate.edu/matE351/index.html).

5. Course Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this course the student will be able to:

• Apply general chemistry knowledge to polymerization reactions.
• Select the appropriate polymerization route to synthesize a given polymer structure.
• Estimate the expected property changes influenced by chemical composition, molecular structure, and morphology.
• hoose the reaction parameters to control polymerization rate, molecular weight, branching and crosslinking.
• Recognize the different types of polymers used in everyday life.

6. Topics Covered:
Introduction

• History of polymers. The role of polymers in everyday life.
• Engineering Polymers.
• Thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers, foams.

Synthesis of Polymers

• Addition polymerization, step growth (condensation) polymerization, copolymerization, chain branching, degree of polymerization, molecular weight distributions, number average molecular mass, weight average molecular mass.

Polymer Structure

• Bonding in polymers, bond rotation/bending, glass transition, tacticity (isotactic, syndiotactic and atactic), crystallinity, lamella/folded chain, spherulites, liquid crystals, structure-mechanical property relations.
• Fiber-reinforced polymer composites.
• Mechanical properties, rule of mixtures, aspect ratio and fiber length, types of fibers, review of glass, carbon, Kevlar fibers, fiber properties, influence of fiber amount and orientation on the properties of composites, concept of isotropy and anisotropy, interfacial bonding.

Polymers in Design

• Case studies in polymer selection, processing and design.

7. Class/Laboratory Schedule: MWF 2:10 - 3:00.

8. Professional Component: Mat E 351 contributes 3 credits to Engineering Topics and to the professional component of this program through the discussion of case studies, which include economic, sustainability and manufacturability, issues.

9. Relationship of Course to Program Learning Outcomes and Program Educational Objectives: Objectives: A, E Outcomes: a, b, g, k-o (significant)

10. Prepared by: J.U. Otaigbe, 8/19/99, rev. 5/24/00 KPC