Introduction to Polymer Science

Undergraduate / Graduate

This course introduces the basics of polymer materials and their behavior and properties. The course will cover a general overview to polymers, basic terminology and definitions, their classification, and their applications. The mechanistic and kinetic behavior of the major classes of polymerization reactions (step-growth, chain addition, and "living" polymerizations) will be introduced with respect to control over polymer structure/architecture, size, and properties. The course will also discuss polymer properties, polymer thermodynamics, and basic structure-property relationships that provide polymers with their unique characteristics compared to small molecules. Techniques for characterizing the chemical and physical properties of polymer solutions will be introduced, including osmometry, viscometry, and gel permeation chromatography.