Polymer morphology and structure
5 points * 26 lectures, 26 laboratory hours and tutorials * Second semester * Clayton * Prerequisites: MTE1510
Macromolecular structure: chemistry of polymerisation, processing characteristics, molecular weight distributions, statistical description of chains, crystal structure of polymers (packing of chains, folding, semicrystalline structure, lamellae, spherulites). Phase transformations: glass transition temperature, definition, measurement techniques, theoretical understanding; gelation, crystallisation of polymers, avrami analysis, time-temperature-transformation curves. Polymer thermodynamics: rubber elasticity, swelling; polymer solutions, Flory-Huggins theory, solubility parameters, interaction parameters, polymer blends, miscibility vs. immiscibility, specific interactions in polymer blends which give miscible systems, polymer blend phase diagrams, UCST, LCST, Spinodals.
Recommended texts
Hill D A Heat transfer and vulcanization of rubber Elsevier, 1971
Mandelkern L Crystallisation of polymers McGraw-Hill, 1984
Sperling Z H Introduction to polymer science Wiley, 1992
Stachurski Z H Engineering science of polymeric materials RACI, 1987
Journal articles
Gillham J K `Formation and properties of thermosetting polymeric materials' Polymer Engineering and Science 26, 20, 1529-1433, 1986
Staiffer D and others `Gelation and critical phenomena' Advances in Polymer Science 44, 99-158