Polymer Science and Engineering

Catalog description

This course provides fundamental understanding of basic principles in polymer science and connects these to current research topics at Penn State as well as novel findings in soft material science at other institutions. Interdisciplinary in content, the curriculum spans from polymer synthesis (chemistry), to physical properties (physics), to characterization, to engineering (chemical engineering), to application of polymer materials (materials science). Two areas of focus will lie on (i) the environmental impact of commodity plastics and (ii) conductive polymers and their every-day use in display technology and energy harvesting. While polymers are versatile and broadly applicable, there lie significant dangers in their use for us as a society. For example, while the drive for flexible displays and solar cells is increasing, there is no clear pathway for efficient recycling of the resulting electronic polymeric materials. To this end, this course will engage students in discussions about industrial processing of polymers and the importance to find new pathways for their recycling.