Introduction to Polymer Physics-IITG

By Prof. Amit Kumar | IIT Guwahati

Learners enrolled: 210

ABOUT THE COURSE:
Polymer physics is important to understand the structure-property relation in polymers. An understanding of the structural features and interactions responsible for polymer properties can aid in tuning the desirable properties. This introductory course will discuss the models for ideal polymer chains, and thermodynamics of polymer solutions and blends, focusing on miscibility. The course will also cover the different methods to measure polymer molar mass, which has a strong effect on polymer properties. The physics of branching and network formation will be introduced with reference to branched polymers, dendrimers and cross-linked polymers. The course will also discuss mechanical properties of polymers with focus on viscoelasticity and rubber elasticity. Finally, a brief introduction to polymer dynamics will be provided.

INTENDED AUDIENCE : Undergraduate (preferably final year) and post graduate students; professional practitioners working in the area of polymers

PREREQUISITES : Thermodynamics, Engineering Mathematics.

INDUSTRY SUPPORT : Companies working on polymers/plastics such as Reliance Industries Limited, GAIL, DuPont, Dow, SABIC.

Summary

Course Status :	Ongoing
Course Type :	Elective
Duration :	8 weeks
Start Date :	25 Jul 2022
End Date :	16 Sep 2022
Exam Date :	25 Sep 2022 IST
Enrollment Ends :	08 Aug 2022
Category :	Chemical Engineering
Credit Points :	2
Level :	Undergraduate/Postgraduate

Page Visits

Course layout

Week 1 : INTRODUCTION TO POLYMERS; MODELS OF IDEAL POLYMER CHAINS; REAL CHAINS AND EXCLUDED VOLUME EFFECTS

Week 2 : THERMODYNAMICS OF POLYMER SOLUTIONS; FLORY-HUGGINS THEORY; PHASE BEHAVIOR, MISCIBILITY AND SOLUBILITY PARAMETER

Week 3 : THERMODYNAMICS OF POLYMER BLENDS AND BLOCK COPOLYMERS; DETERMINATION OF POLYMER MOLAR MASS BY OSMOMETRY

Week 4 : POLYMER MOLAR MASS BY LIGHT SCATTERING; FRICTIONAL PROPERTIES AND VISCOMETRY; SIZE EXCLUSION CHROMATOGRAPHY

Week 5 : BRANCHING, NETWORK FORMATION AND GELATION

Week 6 : CRYSTALLINE AND AMORPHOUS POLYMER PHASE; MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

Week 7 : VISCOELASTICITY, MAXWELL AND VOIGT MODELS; NON-NEWTONIAN BEHAVIOR AND RHEOLOGY; RUBBER ELASTICITY

Week 8 : UNENTANGLED POLYMER DYNAMICS, ROUSE AND ZIMM MODELS; ENTANGLED POLYMER DYNAMICS, REPTATION.

Books and references

M. Rubinstein and R. H. Colby, Polymer Physics, Oxford University Press, 2003.
R. J. Young and P.A. Lovell, Introduction to Polymers, 3rd Ed., CRC Press, 2011.
J. R. Fried, Polymer Science and Technology, Prentice Hall of India, 2nd Ed., 2009.
Gert Strobl, The Physics of Polymers, Springer, 3rd Ed., 2007.

Instructor bio

Prof. Amit Kumar

IIT Guwahati

Prof. Amit Kumar is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Guwahati. His research interests include molecular modeling and simulation, polymers and polymer nanocomposites, and gas adsorption and transport in porous materials. He completed his BTech from IIT Kharagpur and PhD from University of Delaware, USA in Chemical Engineering. He has been teaching an elective course on Polymer Science and Technology to senior undergraduates, Masters and PhD students at IIT Guwahati for two years.

Course certificate

The course is free to enroll and learn from. But if you want a certificate, you have to register and write the proctored exam conducted by us in person at any of the designated exam centres.
The exam is optional for a fee of Rs 1000/- (Rupees one thousand only).
Date and Time of Exams: 25 September 2022 Morning session 9am to 12 noon; Afternoon Session 2pm to 5pm.
Registration url: Announcements will be made when the registration form is open for registrations.
The online registration form has to be filled and the certification exam fee needs to be paid. More details will be made available when the exam registration form is published. If there are any changes, it will be mentioned then.
Please check the form for more details on the cities where the exams will be held, the conditions you agree to when you fill the form etc.

CRITERIA TO GET A CERTIFICATE

Average assignment score = 25% of average of best 6 assignments out of the total 8 assignments given in the course.
Exam score = 75% of the proctored certification exam score out of 100

Final score = Average assignment score + Exam score

YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE ONLY IF AVERAGE ASSIGNMENT SCORE >=10/25 AND EXAM SCORE >= 30/75. If one of the 2 criteria is not met, you will not get the certificate even if the Final score >= 40/100.

Certificate will have your name, photograph and the score in the final exam with the breakup.It will have the logos of NPTEL and IIT Guwahati .It will be e-verifiable at nptel.ac.in/noc.

Only the e-certificate will be made available. Hard copies will not be dispatched.

Once again, thanks for your interest in our online courses and certification. Happy learning.

- NPTEL team

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