Polymer & Polymerization Technology

Course details

Polymers are a group of materials made up of long covalently bonded molecules, which include plastics and rubbers. The use of polymeric materials is increasing rapidly year by year and in many applications they are replacing conventional materials such as metals, wood and natural fibers. The aim of this course is to teach the trainees the fundamentals of polymer science and engineering and polymerization techniques to prepare them for operating and designing polymer relevance processes. 

Course Objective:

By the end of this course, the trainees should be able to:

• differentiate between the types of polymers according to their physical, chemical and mechanical properties.
• determine the average molecular weight of a polymer and the rate equation of a polymer reaction from experimental data.
• determine the flow properties of polymer
• understand polymerization processes.
• learn polymer mechanisms and kinetics
• understand how reactor geometry and mode affect polymer properties
• learn how polymers are recovered, purified, and modified
• know the critical parameters of polymer reaction engineering: stoichiometry, equilibrium, heat removal, viscosity
• learn about process models available to help you evaluate design alternatives and process modifications
• choose the suitable process for manufacturing a certain polymer based product.

Introduction to the course:

• The importance of polymers in our life.
• Defining Polymers
• Types of polymers according to their reaction to temperature, chemistry of synthesis and structure.

Requirements for crystallinty in polymers:

• The fringed-micelle model.
• Folded-chain crystallites.
• Spherulites.
• The effect of crystallinty on polymer properties

Average molecular weights:

• Determination of average molecular weights by absolute methods.
• Determination of average molecular weights by relative methods

General rules of polymer solubility:

• The solubility parameter.
• Properties of dilute solutions.
• Properties of concentrated solutions.

The Glass transition:

• Molecular motions in an amorphous polymer.
• Determination of glass transition temperature.
• Factors influencing the glass transition temperature.
• The glass transition temperature of copolymers.
• The thermodynamics of melting of polymer

Relation between mechanical and physical properties of polymers and its structure.

• Effect of molecular weight
• Effect of degree and distribution of crystallinity
• Effect of additives

Polymerization Mechanisms

Basic Principles for Polymerization Reactions

Condensation or step growth

• binary polycondensations
• stoichiometry
• self-condensations
• equilibrium limitations
• solubility considerations
• cyclization

Addition or chain growth

• chain structures
• mechanisms
• microstructure
• catalyst types
• anionic
• cationic
• Ziegler-Natta catalysis
• metallocene catalysis
• group transfer

Polymerization Kinetics

Kinetic steps

• initiation
• propagation
• termination
• chain transfer
• branching and cross-linking
• moments of the MWD
• mixing rules for MWD

Polymerization Techniques

• Bulk polymerization
• Solution polymerization.
• Suspension polymerization.
• Emulsion polymerization.
• Comparison between the previous polymerization processes.

Molecular Weight Distributions (MWD)

• Measurement techniques
• Effects on physical properties
• Mathematical solutions
• Means and moments
• Distributions by number
• Distributions by weight

Polymer processing: Introduction.

Extrusion.

• Screw geometry.
• Solids-Conveying Zone.
• Melting Zone.

Injection molding:

• Mold filling.
• Molding packing and Cooling

Blow molding.

Calendaring.

Sheet forming.

Fiber spinning

Who Should Attend?

This course is very useful for Engineers and Technicians working in the polymer industry.