Polymer Synthesis & Characterization Lab

Catalog description

Students will synthesize about eight polymers and characterize them carry by specific methods. In about half of those experiments step-growth polymerizations and in the other half chain-addition polymerizations will be performed. Among the polymers produced will be Nylon 6-10, Nylon 11, polystyrene, high-density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, copolymer of styrene and methyl methacrylate and polyurethane. The most specific types of polymerizations and reactions introduced will be cross-linking polymer, interfacial and bulk step-growth polymerizations, cyclopolymerization, radical, ionic and coordinative chain polymerizations. The methods of characterization which will be applied are infrared (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, titrations, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), measurement of swelling, and viscometry.