Polymer Science and Engineering
Polymer science and engineering has a relatively short history
in the discipline of materials. Polymer science was added to
the Department of Materials Science and Engineering as a degree
option in 1972. Recently the program was expanded to address
the need for skilled polymer engineers who also understand the
science of polymers. Chemical Engineering students may also choose
to tailor their degree by completing the requirements for the
Polymer
Engineering Option in Chemical Engineering. |
Suggested Curriculum
Faculty in Polymers
Minor in Polymers
Undergraduate Handbook |
Polymer Science and Engineering Introduction
Simply stated, polymer
science is the science of large molecules. By virtue of their
size alone, macromolecules have certain
unique chemical and physical properties. It is also a relatively
new academic discipline (at least in the U.S.) and one that
is characterized by extraordinary breadth. It involves aspects
of organic chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry,
contemporary physics (particularly theories of the solid state
and solutions), chemical and mechanical engineering and, most
recently, electrical engineering. Moreover, there is a growing
demand for what can be called engineering technologists, those
skilled in the art of designing processes for producing specific
products. Clearly, no one person has an in-depth knowledge
of all these fields. Most polymer scientists and engineers
have a broad overview of the subject that for those doing research
is supplemented by a more detailed knowledge of a particular
area. To give a flavor of what the field involves, particular
areas are discussed in the following sections.
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Undergraduate Advisor to Students in Polymers Option:
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Polymer Synthesis
Most plastics people agree that it is unlikely that we will see
any new thermoplastic take the world by storm (i.e. achieve
levels of production comparable to polyethylene or polystyrene),
but it should be kept in mind that similar things were being
said round about 1950, just before high density polyethylene
and isotactic polypropylene made their debut. This time they
may be right, however, for two very good reasons. First, all
the monomers that can be readily polymerized already have been;
second, commercializing a new commodity plastic would probably
cost well in excess of $1 billion. In any event, polymer chemists
have better things to do than bash their heads against thermoplastic
walls. The action these days is in specialty polymers or in
finding new catalysts to make commodity plastics more cheaply
or with precisely defined chain structures to give controlled
properties. The types of specialty polymers that are important
include those with stiff chains and strong intermolecular attractions
to give thermal resistance and high strength, or chains with
the types of delocalized structures that result in unusual
electronic and optical properties. These materials are produced
in smaller quantities than "bulk" or commodity plastics,
but are ³value added² products that command a much
higher price. The synthesis of new polymer materials is a challenging
area for anyone with an interest in organic chemistry. |
Paul Painter
Professor of Polymer Science
321 Steidle Bldg.
814- 865-5767
painter@matse.psu.edu |
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Characterization
What a chemist thinks he or she has made is not always the stuff
that is lying around the bottom of his or her test tube. Accordingly,
there is an enormous field based on analysis or characterization.
This is an intriguing and exciting area because of recent advances
in instrumentation, particularly those interfaced with high-powered
yet small and relatively cheap dedicated computers. These novel
analytical techniques are not only useful in studying new materials,
but answering questions that have intrigued polymer scientists
for decades. For example, spectroscopic techniques are used
to examine local chemical structures and interactions in polymer
systems. Electron microscopy and the scattering of electromagnetic
radiation are used to characterize overall structure; how components
of a system separate into various types of phases; how chains
fold into crystals; and determining the shape of an individual
chain in a particular environment. Some techniques are so expensive
that national facilities are required, e.g. synchrotron radiation
and neutron scattering, but these are accessible to research
scientists in the field. Polymer characterization is an exciting
field for those interested in the relationship of molecular
structure to macroscopic properties. |
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Polymer Physical Chemistry
Paul Flory was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work
in this area and if you get into this subject you will come
across his name a lot. This is a subject that demands a knowledge
of theory and the ability to perform carefully controlled experiments,
often using the types of instruments mentioned above. (The
area of characterization and polymer physical chemistry overlap
considerably and they are artificially separated here merely
to illustrate the different types of things polymer scientists
do). The simplest way to get a "feel" for this subject
is get a copy of Flory's book "Principles of Polymer Chemistry",
still a classic after more than forty years, and scan the chapters
on the theories of rubber elasticity, solution thermodynamics,
phase behavior etc. This subject remains intriguing, with all
sorts of neat stuff in the areas of polymer blends or alloys,
polymer liquid crystals, block copolymers, dendrimers, and
so on. |
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Polymer Physics
Polymer physics and polymer physical chemistry are overlapping
disciplines that are not, in many cases, easily delineated.
Historically, however, it is possible to point to an enormous
impact by theoretical physicists starting in the late 1960's
and early 1970's. Until then, most theory was based on almost
classical physical chemistry, but a number of leading physicists
(notable de Gennes in France and Edwards in England) started
to apply modern theories of statistical physics to the description
of long chain molecules. The result has been a revolution in
polymer theory, one that is not easily assimilated by traditional
polymer scientists, that is still ongoing.
Polymer physics is not confined to theory, however. Experimental
polymer physics continues to focus on areas such as chain
conformation, viscoelastic and relaxation properties, phenomena
at interfaces, the kinetics of phase changes, and electrical
and piezoelectric properties.
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Undergraduate Polymer Science and Engineering Option
In recent years, economic changes and the increasing
sophistication of polymer manufacturing technologies have created
a need for
skilled personnel in the polymer manufacturing industry who
understand materials processes and can implement new technology
quickly.
The program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineers and Technology (ABET)
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