MTE5882 - Advanced polymeric materials - 2017

Polymers are a ubiquitous part of our everyday life. Advances in polymer synthesis, processing and engineering have led to new applications exploiting the unique properties of polymers to realise advanced technologies far removed from their initial application.

Building on a review of the fundamentals of polymer science, this unit will explore the use of polymers in a range of novel applications from biomedical applications to optoelectronic devices. Different classes of polymers will be discussed including conjugated polymers, block co-polymers and biopolymers with a view to linking the physical properties of the polymer chain to the functionality of the technological application.

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

• illustrate how the properties of polymer-based materials are derived from the macro-molecular nature of polymer chains
• assess new polymer-based technologies and critique the advantages and disadvantages relevant to other non-polymer based technologies
• design experiments to evaluate the performance of polymer based devices
• evaluate the current state-of-the-art of emerging polymer technologies

Continuous assessment: 40%

Examination (2 hours): 60%

Students are required to achieve at least 45% in the total continuous assessment component and at least 45% in the final examination component and an overall mark of 50% to achieve a pass grade in the unit. Students failing to achieve this requirement will be given a maximum of 45% in the unit.

3 hours of lectures/tutorials, 2 three hours laboratory sessions and 9 hours of private study per week.

See also Unit timetable information

Professor Nick Birbilis

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