Polymers & Biopolymers

(3 Credits)

The word polymer comes from the Greek words “poly”, meaning many, and “mer”, meaning parts. Like the macrostructures we see every day, such as a house built of brick, the larger structures of polymers have very different properties from their smaller chemical building blocks. The uniqueness of polymer and biopolymers properties provide most of the materials we interact with on a regular basis, including our clothes, plastics, paper, adhesives, and even our bodies themselves. Through this interdisciplinary course, students will obtain basic knowledge related to polymers, biopolymers and biosensors. The course will cover the chemistry, structure, and properties of polymers/biopolymers used in dentistry and medicine. Topics include the science of large macromolecules, molecular weights and measurements, polymerization mechanisms, mechanical properties of polymers, thermoplastic and thermosetting resins, chemistry of emulsion and suspension polymerization, polymers associated with restorative materials, ionic polymers, silicones, polymethylmethacrylate, reinforced polymers, and composites.