Polymeric Materials in Industry

Code:

M.EQ022

Acronym:

MPI

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Technological Sciences (Chemical Engineering)

Instance: 2023/2024 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Chemical Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
M.EQ	19	Syllabus	1	-	6	52

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

This course aims at providing a supplementary instruction in domains of Chemistry, Physics, Chemical Engineering and other technical and professional domains, in order to prepare future chemical engineers for working in companies which produce, process and/or sell polymers. 

Learning outcomes and competences

The students should acquire skills in rheology and the processing of polymeric materials, with special emphasis on implementation in an industrial context. They should be capable of identifying relevant testing methods and interpreting their results, relating them to the material's behavior during processing. Students will also develop their skills in literature research, laboratory practices for rheological characterization and processing, and written and oral communication.

Working method

Presencial

Program

Module I: Industrial rheology of molten polymers and in solution/dispersion 

• Rheologic phenomena 
• Viscosity 
• Rheometry 
• Stresses and strain rates 
• Elastic liquids 
• Normal stresses 
• Rheological tests - laboratorial practices 

Module II: Polymer Processing in Industry

• Introduction
• Extrusion
• Mixing
• Injection
• Additive Manufacturing
• Other Plastic Processing

Mandatory literature

H. A. Barnes, J. F. Hutton, K. Walters; An introduction to rheology. ISBN: 0-444-87469-0
Tim A. Osswald; Understanding polymer processing. ISBN: 9781569906477
J. A. Covas; Rheological fundamentals of polymer processing. ISBN: 0-7923-3792-1
Middleman, Stanley; Fundamentals of polymer processing. ISBN: 0-07-041851-9
Rodriguez, Ferdinand 070; Principles of polymer systems. ISBN: 1-56032-939-4
L. H. Sperling; Introduction to Physical Polymer Science, Wiley-Interscience, 2006. ISBN: 978-0-471-70606-9
Fried, Joel R.; Polymer science & technology. ISBN: 0-13-018168-4

Teaching methods and learning activities

- Module I: Industrial rheology of molten polymers and in solution/dispersion

Lectures supported by presentation of slides. Tutorial sessions with resolution of problems, previously distributed to the students. Laboratory sessions on polymer rheology. Home works consisting in problems with large extension and use of computational resources, too long for solving during a tutorial session, and reports on specific themes.

 

- Module II: Polymer Processing in Industry

All classes have a theoretical-pratical nature, based simultaneously on:

1) Exposition and discussion of concepts by teacher and students.

2) Execution of experimental works, both in the class room and in laboratory, involving observation and characterization of physical-mechanical behavior of polymeric materials during its processing.

 

keywords

Physical sciences > Physics > Condensed matter properties > Soft matter and polymer physics
Technological sciences > Engineering > Materials engineering

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	75,00
Trabalho laboratorial	25,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Frequência das aulas	50,00
Estudo autónomo	50,00
Trabalho laboratorial	25,00
Elaboração de relatório/dissertação/tese	20,00
Total:	145,00

Eligibility for exams

According to General Evaluation Rules of FEUP

Calculation formula of final grade

The final classification is based on "Distributed Assessment with Exam":

1. DISTRIBUTED ASSESSMENT: Laboratory Assignments (Weight: 25%), with each module accounting for 50%. Attendance in laboratory classes and the preparation of the reports are MANDATORY.

2. EXAM: The weight of the exam is 75%, with each module accounting for 50%.

Exams, in the Regular, Resit, or Special periods, cover the entire subject of the course. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: To apply the aforementioned weighted average, it is necessary to obtain a MINIMUM grade of 8 points in the "Exam" component. Additionally, the student must achieve a MINIMUM of 4 points in each of the parts (Module I and Module II).

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Exam covering all the material (Modules I and II).

Classification improvement

Exam covering all the material (Modules I and II) and reworking of the reports.