American Chemical Society

ACS Short Course

Key Topics Course Instructor Who Should Attend? How You’ll Benefit Agenda Course Fees Hotel and Travel Information

Polymer Chemistry: Principles and Practice

Course Code: PCPP


Overview

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Questions? Call 1-800-227-5558 ext. 4508

This six-day course is taught by five Virginia Tech professors and is designed for all education levels. Students can expect to learn about polymer synthesis, molecular weight determination, characterization of rheological and viscoelastic behavior; gain a better understanding of polymer structure and morphology, and mechanical testing; study elastomers, plastics, and fibers; learn from practical examples from fields of adhesion and composites; and understand the measurement of properties of polymers, which are then discussed as functions of chemical composition, molecular weight, topology, morphology, etc.


When and Where

Dates and Times Locations
March 30 – April 4, 2008 Virginia Tech
August 3-8, 2008 Virginia Tech
December 7-12, 2008 Virginia Tech
  • Check-in opens at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday night. The first class begins at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 10:10 p.m. Sunday night. See the agenda below for the remainder of the schedule.
  • Lecture sessions will be held in the Cascades Room at the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center
  • Laboratory sessions will be held in the Chemistry Department at Virginia Tech


Key Topics

  • Learn about polymer synthesis, molecular weight determination, characterization of rheological and viscoelastic behavior.
  • Gain a better understanding of polymer structure and morphology, mechanical testing.
  • Study elastomers, plastics, and fibers.
  • Learn from practical examples from fields of adhesion and composites.
  • Understand the measurement of properties of polymers, which are then discussed as functions of chemical composition, molecular weight, topology, morphology, etc.

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Course Instructors

Here Is What Past Participants Have to Say About this Course…

“This group of instructors does an incredible job. Synthesis blends into characterization and then into practical engineering seamlessly. The lectures were both lighthearted and intense.”

Mitch Refvik, Research Team Leader, Chevron Philips Chemical Co. LP

  • Thomas C. Ward, Adhesives and Sealants Council Chaired Professor of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, focuses on polymer characterization, viscoelasticity, mechanical properties, and molecular interpretations of behavior in his research and teaching. His current studies include adhesion of coatings and thin films.
  • Garth L. Wilkes, Emeritus University Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, centers his research on the molecular-structure property analysis of polymer systems. Research projects include crystalline polymers, block copolymers, ion containing polymers, irradiation of polymers, sol gel behavior, foams, and elastomers.
  • Timothy E. Long, Professor of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, is involved with various aspects of chain and step-growth polymerization research including the synthesis and characterization of block, star, branched, and segmented copolymers; liquid crystalline polymers; sol-gel chemistry; living polymerization; methodologies; polymer blend compatibilization; and polymeric packaging materials. Previous research experience includes industrial research and development at both Eastman Kodak and Eastman Chemical Company.
  • Judy S. Riffle, Professor of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, studies the synthesis of functionalized homopolymers and block copolymers and their activity in metal complexation and particle formation and in understanding structure-property relationships in thermoset copolymer networks.
  • Robert B. Moore, Professor of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, is involved with fundamental research to characterize and understand morphology-physical property relationships in nanostructured polymers. Current efforts include: control of morphology-transport property relationships in PEM fuel cell systems, characterization and control of actuation behavior in ionomer-based artificial muscles, and the correlation of small-angle x-ray and neutron scattering methods with spectroscopy to characterize morphology and dynamics in heterogeneous polymeric systems.

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Who Should Attend

Any research chemist, engineer, physicist, or technician who works or is beginning to work with polymers and their applications.

“Since my formal training was not in polymer chemistry, this course was valuable to me. It helped me gain a more comprehensive understanding of polymer science. The information I learned will be quite helpful to me in my research program.”

Walt Kosar, Ph.D., Sr. Research Scientist, Technical Polymers Group, Arkema, Inc.

Managers in the polymer industry will greatly benefit from this in-depth, lecture-laboratory course.

The course is structured for all educational levels, from bachelor degree through Ph.D. No prior knowledge of polymer science is assumed.

Click here to view the descriptive brochure, available in the Adobe PDF file format.

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How You'll Benefit

  • Learn about polymer synthesis, molecular weight determination, characterization of rheological and viscoelastic behavior.
  • Gain a better understanding of polymer structure and morphology, mechanical testing.
  • Study elastomers, plastics, and fibers.
  • Learn from practical examples from fields of adhesion and composites.
  • Understand the measurement of properties of polymers, which are then discussed as functions of chemical composition, molecular weight, topology, morphology, etc.

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Agenda

Sunday

  • Check in at 5:00 p.m. at the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center. The first class begins at 5:30.
  • Outline of Course
  • Survey of Polymer Science
  • Classes of Polymers and General Types of Polymerization
  • Step-Growth

Monday

"This was my first ACS short course. I could not have been more impressed than I was by the facilities, the instructors, their students, and the material covered. I absolutely plan on pursuing several more ACS Short Courses which apply to my field. Feedback among my classmates was also very positive. I highly recommend this course to those with little or no knowledge of polymer chemistry, as well as those who have worked in the field for some time. There was something for everyone to learn."

Blaire A. Hart, Chemist, Quantum Silicones, LLC

  • Step-Growth Thermosetting Polymerization
  • Synthesis of Polymers
  • Free Radical Polymerization
  • Copolymerization
  • Synthesis (Ionic) of Polymers
  • Living and Ring Opening Polymerization
  • Polymerization Labs
  • Characterization of Polymers

Tuesday

  • Block and Graft Copolymers
  • Intrinsic Viscosity Lab
  • Gel Permeation Chromatography
  • Polyolefins
  • Polymerization and FTIR Labs
  • Morphology and Its Characterization

Wednesday

  • Basic Rheology I
  • Structure/Morphology
  • Thermal Analysis
  • Viscoelasticity

Thursday

  • Basic Rheology II
  • Synthesis of Polymers, Polyurethanes
  • Mechanical Testing
  • Structure-Properties, Rheology
  • Degradation and Stabilization of Polymers
  • Social Hour (Cash Bar)/Banquet (Provided)

Friday

  • Accelerated Testing
  • Structure-Property Relationships

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Course Fees

Note: Includes tuition, lecture and laboratory materials, lunches, and the Thursday evening banquet.

Member $2,795
Non-member $2,995

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Hotel Reservations and Travel Information

Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Phone: (540) 231-8000

The closest airport to Blacksburg is in Roanoke, VA, about an hour’s ride from Blacksburg. Limousine service is available between Roanoke Airport and Blacksburg; for scheduling and reservation information, call (540) 951-3973. For those wishing to rent a car, all major rental car agencies have facilities at the Roanoke Airport.

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