OVERVIEW

Polymeric materials are formulations having a polymer or a mixture of polymers as the main component.

Polymeric materials are extremely versatile and, therefore, widely used in industrial domains and daily activities. This teaching provides the fundamentals to the knowledge of this class of materials, placing particular emphasis on the structure-property relationships, which justify their widespread use.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The object of the teaching are materials having as main component a polymer or a mixture of polymers. The basic knowledge for the study of polymeric matrix materials will be provided, describing the main classes of polymeric materials with their respective sectors of use and the most common molecular and chemical-physical characterization techniques, also through laboratory exercises.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is an introductory teaching on the science and technology of polymeric materials aimed at:

1) acquiring the basic concepts about polymers and their chemical, physical, mechanical, thermal, and rheological properties in mass, solution and mixture;

2) understanding the molecular and structural origin of the properties of polymers and polymeric materials;

3) knowing the main techniques applied for the molecular and thermal characterization of polymeric materials and how to use them.

The teaching is focused to develop the ability to correlate the theoretical notions on polymeric materials with experimental data for their characterization and use. To pursue this goal, traditional lectures are always accompanied by concrete examples related to everyday life as well as industrial practice.

At the end of the teaching the student will be able to:

• know the molecular structure of the mostly employed polymers and classify them according to different parameters;
• show adequate language skill to describe phenomena and processes involving polymeric materials;
• correlate the chemical, physical, mechanical, thermal and rheological properties of polymeric materials to their composition and structure;
•  identify and understand the data available from molecular and thermal characterization techniques of polymeric materials;
• know and understand the thermodynamic bases of polymeric solutions and mixtures.

The teaching is provided for the students of the Chemical Technologies curriculum (degree course in Chemistry and Chemical Technologies), entirely for 2022-2023 cohort and for 5 CFUs only for 2021-2022 cohort. Moreover, it is frequently chosen as optional teaching for 4 CFUs. The learning outcomes do not include the last point of the aforementioned list for the students who attend the lessons for 5 or 4 CFUs, respectively.

PREREQUISITES

No official prerequisite, but it is recommended to have overcome the exams of General and Inorganic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry.

TEACHING METHODS

The teaching consists of traditional lectures, for a total of 40 hours (5 CFU), and a theoretical-practical laboratory part of 13 hours (1 CFU). Attendance at laboratory activities is compulsory.

In the practical part, the students, divided into groups, will have to apply the experimental protocols proposed for the characterization of polymeric materials under the guidance of the professor in charge. For each experience carried out, students will have to deliver a brief report with the results obtained from the experimental activity. Organization and dates of the laboratory activities will be communicated at the end of the traditional lessons of the teaching.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

First part (4 CFUs):

Generalities on polymers and polymeric materials. Structure of the polymeric backbone: composition, configuration, conformation. Classification and nomenclature of polymers.

Molecular characterization techniques of polymers (osmometry, viscosimetry, light scattering, ultracentrifugation, gel permeation chromatography).

Solid state polymers: amorphous polymers (common amorphous polymers and their use, glass transition temperature and study of the parameters influencing it), semi-crystalline polymers (common semi-crystalline polymers and their use, the melting temperature and study of the temperatures influencing it, thermodynamics and kinetics of the melting-crystallization process), thermosetting polymers, characterization techniques (densitometry, DSC, determination of crystallinity degree, TGA).

Second part (1 CFU):

Introduction to rheological properties of polymers in mass and in solution.

Elastomers: structural properties, thermodynamic and statistical study of elasticity.

Polymers in solution: polymer-solvent interactions, introduction to the Flory-Huggins model.

Notes on polymeric blends.

Third part (1 technical-practical CFU):

Two laboratory experiences on the molecular and chemical-physical characterization of polymeric materials.

Due to the CFU differentiation in the study plan, the third part of the teaching is not provided to students of the degree course in Chemistry and Chemical Technologies (Chemical Technologies curriculum), 2021-2022 cohort.

Both second and third parts of the teaching are not provided to students who attend the lessons for 4 CFUs.

Based on the content described, the teaching contributes to the achievement of the following Sustainable Development Goals of the ONU 2030 Agenda: Goal 4. Quality Education, Goal 5. Gender Equality and Goal 12. Responsible consumption and production.

As a quality assurance, the detailed program of the teaching is uploaded to the corresponding aula@web page, so the students can verify the correspondence between topics and learning outcomes.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

To facilitate learning, lesson notes are uploaded to the corresponding aul@web simultaneously with their content’s presentation in the classroom. Verification quizzes and tests are uploaded to the same web page together with numerical exercises (with and without resolution) to check individual preparation.

The following supporting texts are suggested:

Scienza e tecnologie dei materiali, D. R. Askeland, P. P. Fulay, W. J. Wright – Edizioni Città Studi, 2017

Fondamenti di Struttura, Proprietà e Tecnologia dei Polimeri- Testi AIM - Edizioni Nuova Cultura, 2011

Fondamenti di Scienza dei Polimeri - M. Guaita, F. Ciardelli, E. Pedemonte - Pacini Editore, 2009

Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali Polimerici - S. Bruckner, G. Allegra, M. Pegoraro, F.P. La Mantia- EdiSES, 2007

Fundamentals of Polymer Science – P. C. Painter, M. M. Coleman - Technomic Publishing Co., Inc. , 1997- 2nd edition.

Polymers: Chemistry and Physics of Modern Materials – J. M. G. Cowie – Blackie Academic & Professional, Chapman & Hull Eds., 1991 – 2nd edition.

Supplementary material is provided on request to working students or students with SLD.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

MARINA ALLOISIO (President)

DAVIDE COMORETTO

MAILA CASTELLANO (President Substitute)

MASSIMO DOMENICO OTTONELLI (Substitute)

SILVIA VICINI (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The teaching is held on the first semester, starting from september 25th, 2023.

The lessons timetable is available at the links below:

https://corsi.unige.it/corsi/8765/studenti-orario

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam consists of a written test and an oral test conducted by two teachers (including the teacher in charge).

During the calendar year, 7 official exam sessions are scheduled, distributed in the time intervals established by the Manifesto degli Studi and the Regolamento del Corso di Studio of the CdS involved. Extraordinary exam sessions outside the as-indicated periods will be granted only to students overdue with the curriculum studiorum.

The written test consists of two parts, the contribution of which to the exam evaluation is specified below:

- the first part consists in the interpretation and discussion of experimental data deriving from the characterization of polymeric materials in order to verify the acquired ability to apply the theoretical concepts to real situations; the first part of the written test is awarded a maximum rating of 12/30;

- the second part consists of a test composed of 4 questions (multiple and/or open choice) on 4 different topics included in the teaching program; the second part of the written test is awarded a maximum rating of 10/30.

The questions relating to the written test are inserted in a single document, previously prepared by the examination committee and numbered. The student chooses the document among those available based on the number and without knowing its content. Composition and denomination of the document are differentiated according to the CFU number of the student's study plan.

The oral exam, which is awarded a maximum rating of 8/30, consists of:

- the discussion of the results of the written test;

- the discussion of laboratory reports for students who attended the teaching for 6 CFU and took part in the technical-practical activity;

- the description and discussion of the properties of a class of polymers or of a specific polymer for students who attended the teaching for 5 CFU or 4 CFU.

Students are admitted to the oral test if they acquired a score of 10 or more in the written test.

For students with disabilities or with SLD, the examination methods refer to the specific regulations of the University of Genova (https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa).

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The examination will aim to check the effective achievement of the learning outcomes by the student relatively to:

- the ability to correlate the properties of polymeric materials to their composition and structure;

- the ability to compare and integrate the data available from various experimental characterization techniques and from the correlation structure-property models included in the teaching program.

Moreover, the examination will assess if the student has reached an adequate level of topics mastery and language skills. 

Otherwise, the students are invited to deepen their preparation also by taking advantage of further explanations by the teacher before repeating the exam.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Any pre-requisites are defined in the following documents: Regolamento del Corso di Studio and/or Manifesto degli Studi of CdS involved.

However, it is recommended to have overcome the exams of General and Inorganic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry.