POLYMER CHARACTERIZATION

CHEM/CHE/MSE/TFE 6752

[Back to Education page]

 

Course coordinators: Dr. Haskell Beckham

 

Prerequisites:

1 semester physical chemistry and CHEM/CHE/ME/MSE/TFE 4775 or 4777 or equivalent, or consent of instructor

 

Proposed Catalog Description:

This course introduces the student to surface, near-surface and structural methods of polymer characterization.  Specialized techniques critical to physical structure are emphasized.

 

Course Justification:

 

The learning objectives for the course are:

1.    Learn essential concepts of techniques for structural characterization of polymers

2.    Learn techniques for characterization of polymer surfaces

3.    Gain proficiency in use of characterization equipment

4.    Prepare students for research in the field of polymer process-structure-property relationships

 

The course lecture materials have been taught at Georgia Tech for 9 years. A drawback of the current course is that there is no accompanying laboratory. The semester course corrects that deficiency.

 

Text: No suitable text exists. A “notebook” has been developed as instructor prepared handouts. This will be supplemented with papers from literature.

 

Topical Outline

1. Introduction

2. Thermal Analysis

      DSC/DTA;  TGA;  TMA;  DMTA (DMS)

3. Diffraction and Scattering

      Wide Angle X-ray Diffraction (WAXD)

      Small Angle X-ray & Neutron Scattering (SAXS, SANS)

      Small Angle Light Scattering (SALS)

4. Fourier Transform IR (FTIR) & Raman Spectroscopy

5. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)

      Solution & Solid State NMR

6. Electron Microscopy

      SEM; Electron Diffraction (SAED) and Imaging (TEM); Energy Dispersive X­ray Analysis (EDS/EDAX)

7. Surface Characterization of Solid Polymers:

      X-ray Photoelectric Spectroscopy (XPS/ESCA); Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES); Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS)

8. Scanning Probe Microscopy Techniques:

      STM, AFM

9. Laboratories in:

i.      DSC/DTA/TGA

ii.    DMS

iii.   WAXD: Identification, Crystallinity, Crystal Size

iv.   WAXD: Orientation; SAXS

v.    WAXD, SAXS: photography/imaging techniques

vi.   FTIR: Identification, Phase Analysis

vii. Raman: Identification, Phase Analysis

viii.FTIR/Raman: Polarized ­ Structural characterization

ix.   NMR: Solution state ­ identification, stereochemistry

x.    NMR: Solid state ­ identification, molecular mobility

xi.   SEM: topography

xii. STM/AFM: topography

 

[Top of page| Main PERC page| Back to Education page]