Materials Characterization for Soft and Polymeric Materials

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course will provide a comprehensive introduction to advanced materials characterization techniques, with a focus on soft matter and polymeric systems. Topics covered include electron microscopy techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with complementary cryogenic (CryoEM) and in situ (liquid phase EM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), tomographic reconstructions/tilt series, and image processing methods, along with sample preparation strategies. Fundamentals of electron optics and electron-specimen interactions will be discussed, including elastic and inelastic scattering techniques such as energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The course will also explore advanced scattering methods, including X-ray and neutron scattering and diffraction, to investigate polymer amorphous, crystalline, and nanostructures. Various microscopy techniques, including polarized light microscopy (POM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM), will be covered to analyze material morphology and properties. Thermal analysis methods, such as traditional, modulated, and flash differential scanning calorimetry (DSC/MDSC/flash DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and polymer rheology will be presented to understand polymer metastability, thermal behavior, thermomechanical properties. Students will learn to integrate these techniques into the design of experiments for targeted applications, with an emphasis on in-situ characterization, error quantification, and the practical challenges of characterizing complex systems. Finally, materials characterization and safety standards (ASTM/ISO), and respective regulating bodies will be introduced to bridge the technical, practicality, and reproducibility gaps that can exist between traditional academic research and industrial scale research & development on a national and international scale.