Introduction to Polymer Science

Course: Chemical Engineering 160 (Materials 160)

MW: 10-11:15 1519 Engineering II (and occasional Friday makeup classes)

Instructors: Rachel Segalman

3353 Engineering II
segalman@engineering.ucsb.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday 2:30-3:30 pm, Wed after class-12pm

Teaching Assistant: Adam Levi

PSBN 4670B
alevi@umail.ucsb.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday 10:30-11:30 am

Text: Fundamentals of Polymer Science, Second Edition (1998) by Painter and Coleman.
Another useful resource: Polymer Chemistry, Second Edition (2007) by Paul C. Hiemenz and
Timothy P. Lodge

Website: https://gauchospace.ucsb.edu

Homework: Due at the start of the specified class. No late homeworks will be accepted.

Grading (Undergraduates):
Homework: 30%
Midterm: 30%
Final: 40%

Grading (Graduates):
Homework: 20%
Midterm: 20%
Paper: 20%
Final: 40%
 Date Topics Sections of P&C
1. Introduction
1/17 Course Introduction, Nomenclature, Molecular P&C Ch. 1
Weight, routes of polymerization

2. Polymerization
1/22 Step growth polymerization (mechanisms and Ch 2 (pp 29-40)
statistics
1/24 Branching, cross-linking, gel formation, Chain Ch 4 (83-104); Ch 2
growth polymerization mechanism (40-52),
1/29 Adam Chain growth polymerization kinetics Ch 3 (68-81)
1/31 Adam Chain growth Kinetics continued; Ionic Ch 6 (173-189), Ch 6
polymerizations (189-204)
2/5 Story of polyethylene (Isomerism, Crystallinity) Ch 2 (52-60), Ch 7
+ midterm review (218-233) + handouts

3. Polymer chain shape and thermodynamics

2/7 Midterm
2/12 Amorphous and crystalline polymers, Glasses 234-237 + handouts
2/14 Chain shape, Polymer solution thermo 237-256, 273-30,
handouts
2/19 President’s Day
2/21 Flory Huggins Theory 303-321+ handouts
4. Polymer molecular weight and chain shape characterization
2/26 Measuring molecular weight Handouts+ 322-330,
363-381, 339-341
2/28 Rubber Elasticity 395-412+ handouts
3/5 Elasticity and Viscoelasticity 413-423 + handouts
5. Polymer Structure + Mechanics
3/7 Adam Models for viscoelasticity 413-448; 449-457
3/9 Time temp superposition and examples 458-466
3/12 Continue elasticity/viscoelasticity (more
examples)
3/14 Viscoelasticity demos + final review

Final Exam: Monday, March 19; 8-11 AM

Those enrolled in ChemE 260 (Graduate Students ONLY) will need to turn in a 10 page review
paper on March 9. Suggestions for review papers on properties of macromolecules are below,
though you are welcome to choose your own topic: You should choose a topic for your paper by
February 2nd and come to talk to me about your choice by that time.

1. ATRP polymerization (chemistry, applications, new developments)

2. Tacticity control
3. Industrial polymerizations of block copolymers
4. Controlled self-assembly of biopolymers
5. Polymerization controlled self-assembly
6. Dendrimers (synthesis, properties, applications)
7. Sequence controlled polymers (synthetic challenges, applications, physics)
8. The glass transition temperature of polymer thin films: theory and experiment
9. Probes of polymer dynamics near the glass transition temperature.
10. Dynamic mechanical spectroscopy of block copolymers near order-disorder and order-
order transitions.
11. Viscoelasticity and diffusion of branched polymers.
12. Measurements of the force-distance characteristics of single macromolecular chains.
13. Role of defects in elasticity
14. Vitrimers and other associating (non-covalently bonded) networks
15. High toughness of double network hydrogels
16. Technological challenges facing: Organic Electronics
17. Technological challenges facing: Sustainable Plastics
18. Effects of confinement on the glass transition

The UCSB Disabled Students Program (http://dsp.sa.ucsb.edu) provides academic support

services to eligible students with temporary and permanent disabilities and you may request
academic accommodations through their online system. Please make your requests as early in the
quarter as possible to ensure proper arrangements.