Unit POLYMER TECHNOLOGY
- Course
- Sustainable materials and processes engineering
- Study-unit Code
- A004706
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Luigi Torre
- Teachers
-
- Luigi Torre
- Hours
- 120 ore - Luigi Torre
- CFU
- 12
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2024
- Offered
- 2024/25
- Learning activities
- Caratterizzante
- Area
- Ingegneria dei materiali
- Academic discipline
- ING-IND/22
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- English
- Contents
- The course will face the main aspects of the characteristics, properties and technologies of polymeric materials. Starting from the basis and from the chemical-physical characteristics of polymeric materials, the synthesis processes of polymers and their properties will be also studied. Finally, the main processes to produce polymeric products will be studied
- Reference texts
- R. J. Young and P.A. Lowel: Indroduction to Polymers. Chapman ed.
F. Rodriguez: “Principles of Polymer Systems” Mc Graw Hill - Educational objectives
- Provide the student with an in-depth knowledge of the main characteristics of polymeric materials, and on their industrial production. Being able to understand the production process used for polymeric products and know the physical and mechanical properties of polymers and plastics
- Prerequisites
- Math and advanced math, physics and chemistry
- Teaching methods
- Front lesson
- Learning verification modality
- Written and Oral Exam
- Extended program
- Structure, and classification: thermoplastic polymers, thermosetting polymers, homo and co-polymers, molecular weight and molecular weight distribution. commodity polymers, techno polymers, biopolymers, and blends.
Synthesis of polymers.
Step polymerization: Introduction, reaction mechanism. Carothers theory, Flory theory (most probable distribution), kinetics, polyfunctional polycondensation: Carothers gelling theory and Flory gelling theory.
Chain polymerization: Reaction mechanism, kinetics, activation energy, average degree of polymerization, self-acceleration, chain transfer, effects of temperature, inhibition and delay.
Copolymerization: Classification of copolymers. Composition equation of a copolymer, fa-Fa plot. Azeotrope blend. Determination of the amount of unreacted monomer.
Viscoelasticity: Definitions. Variation of stress and strain over time. Maxwell model; Voigt (or Kelvin) model; Standard Linear Solid. Boltzman superposition principle.
Structure: Polymer crystals. Determination of the crystal structure. Semicrystalline polymers, spherulites, degree of crystallinity, crystal thickness and orientation, thermodynamics of crystallization and molecular mechanism, Hoffman theory. Avrami law. Melting, factors affecting the meting temperature
Structure. Amorphous polymers. Free volume theory and glass transition, Gordon-Taylor equation for copolymers. Dependence of Tg on the chemical structure, elastomers
Mechanical properties: “Yield” of polymers, phenomenology, necking, Pressure-dependent yield criteria. Dependence on strain rate and temperature
Viscoelasticity: Mechanical-dynamic tests. Torsion pendulum. Frequency dependence of viscoelastic behavior. Transitions and polymeric structures.
Rubber Elasticity
Rheology and Rheometry: rheological behavior of polymers viscosity measurement of polymer melts, time temperature superposition, Eq, WLF
Solubility and absorption of polymers: Fickian diffusion and Case II, solubility criteria for polymeric materials, solubility parameter, Flory Huggings theory.
Processing. Production processes of polymeric materials, Extrusion and co-extrusion basic concepts and operation. Fiber spinning and Filming: equipment and process modeling examples. Injection molding: principles of operation and main industrial problems.
Processing of Thermosetting Materials Thermosetting