'Polymer Materials - Structure Property Relations' is an elective course offered in the B. Tech. in Chemical Engineering program at School of Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore.
Unit 1
Structure of polymers – thermoplastic – thermoset, rubber - Linear, branched, crosslinked, and network polymers - Homochain and hetero atomic chain polymers - Copolymers - Linear and cyclic arrangement - Prediction of polymer properties, group contribution techniques, topological techniques - Volumetric properties - molar volume, density, Van der Waals volume - Coefficient of linear thermal expansion and volumetric thermal expansion - Pressure volume temperature (PVT) relationship.
Mechanical properties - Stress-strain properties of polymers - Effect of polymer structure on modulus of elasticity, tensile strength, flexural strength, impact strength, yield strength, fracture toughness - Crazing in glassy polymers - Ductile brittle transition. Effect of additives on mechanical properties of polymers - Creep, stress relaxation, and fatigue.
Unit 2
Thermodynamic and transition properties - Transition temperature in polymers, glass transition (Tg), melt transition (Tm), relationship between Tg and Tm - other transitions like ß-transitions, upper and lower glass transition temperatures - Prediction of Tg and Tm of polymers by group contributions.Calorimetric properties - Heat capacity, specific heat, latent heat of crystallization and fusion, enthalpy and entropy - Calculation of heat capacities of polymers.
Electrical and optical properties - Effect of polymer structure on dielectric constant, power factor, dissipation factor, and loss factor - effect of frequency of voltage and temperature on dielectric properties - Prediction of molar polarization and effective dipole moment. Effect of additives on electrical properties of polymers.
Unit 3
Optical properties - Effect of polymer structure on optical properties - clarity, transparency, haze, transmittance, reflectance, and gloss - Prediction of refractive indices of polymers by group contributions.
Chemical Properties - Cohesive energy, cohesive energy density, solubility parameter, determination of solubility parameter of polymers - Prediction of solubility parameter - Effect of polymer structure on solubility in solvents and oils - Influence of structure in prediction of flame retardancy, water repellency - Chemical resistance of polymers - Polymer toxicity.
- J. A. Brydson, “Plastics Materials” Butterworth- Heinemann – Oxford, 7th Ed., London, 1999
- Maurice Morton, “Rubber Technology”, 3rd Ed, Kluwer Academic Pub, Dordrecht, Netherlands, 1999
- Manas Chanda and Salil K. Roy, “Plastics Technology Handbook”, CRC Press, Atlanta, 2007
- D. W. Van Krevelen and P. J. Hoftyzen, “Properties of Polymer”, 3rd Edition Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company Amsterdam – Oxford – Newyork. 1990.
- Jozef.Bicerano, “Prediction of Polymer Properties”, Second Edition, Marcel Dekker Inc. New York, 1995.
