SCC0016 - CHEMISTRY AND TECHNOLOGY OF POLYMERS

courses

ID:

SCC0016

Duration (hours):

48

CFU:

SSD:

CHIMICA INDUSTRIALE

Year:

2025

Date/time interval

Secondo Semestre (16/02/2026 - 12/06/2026)

Course Objectives

The course aims to provide students with specific knowledge of the chemistry of polymers, the representation of polymers through chemical structures of homopolymers and copolymers, as well as providing the basic tools for understanding the mechanisms of production of macromolecules and property-structure correlations. At the end of the course the student is able to identify the polymerization mechanism suitable for a given monomer, describe the experimental methods to characterize the molecular weight and the main thermal transitions of the polymer obtained, to correlate the thermal and mechanical properties with the chemical structure. It is also able to understand which additives need to be added to a polymer with certain chemical-physical characteristics to obtain a final product with the desired physical-mechanical properties.

Course Prerequisites

Elementary knowledge of General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry I, Physical Chemistry.

Teaching Methods

The course includes lectures carried out in the classroom (48 h).

Assessment Methods

The examination consists of a written test based on 5 open questions related to theory topics. Each question will be associated to a score. Four questions are aimed at ascertaining the level of knowledge and the ability to understand the topics, as well as the ability to use the appropriate scientific terminology and logical organization of the discussion. One among the five questions is aimed at verifying the ability to correctly apply theoretical knowledge to solving practical problems related to polymer technology and to verify the logical-deductive capabilities acquired.

Macromolecules: definitions and general aspects. Polymerization processes. Polymerisability requirements: functionality of the monomers, raw materials and classification of polymers. General aspects of the life cycle of macromolecules. (4 hours) Molecular masses of polymers. Distribution of molecular masses. Average molecular masses in number and weight. Polydispersity. Methods of characterization of molecular masses. (2 hours) Step polymerization, general aspects, kinetic treatment, conversion and average degree of polymerization. Types of reactions involved and industrial polymerization conduction. (4 hours) Radical and ionic chain polymerization. General aspects, complete kinetic treatment and controlled and living polymerizations. Examples of industrial processes. (12 hours) Stereochemistry and regiochemistry of macromolecules. Stereospecific or coordination polymerization. Mechanisms. Ziegler-Natta catalysts and evolution of the industrial process. Metallocene catalysts. (8 hours) Copolymers. Free radical copolymerizations and distribution of the chain composition. (4 hours) The glass transition temperature and the free volume model. Methods for measuring Tg. (4 hours) Crystallinity in polymers, thermodynamics and kinetics of the crystallization process. Elastomers and vulcanization. Crystalline polymers and amorphous polymers. Thermoplastics and thermosets. Notes on mechanical properties. Notes on the degradability of macromolecules and choice of additives. Industrial processes for the workability of polymers. Examples of commonly used polymers and highly technological polymers: characteristics, applications and recycling. Examples of application of polymers for the production of composite materials (10 hours)

Course Language

italian

More information

Reception time: upon appointment, as agreed via e-mail, using the official student’s address: @studenti.uninsubria.it Professor’s e-mail address: carlo.lucarelli @uninsubria.it