The following cross skills will be developed:

M03CM17 - Demonstrate observation, analysis and synthesis skills with a capacity for criticism and self-criticism.

M03CM18 - Demonstrate a capacity for learning and for autonomous work for professional development.

M03CM19 - Be able to manage, organise and plan chemical processes, applying criteria of quality and environmental conservation.

M03CM20 - Relate chemistry with other disciplines and understand its impact on the industrial and technological society and the importance of the industrial chemical sector.

Together with the following specific skills:

M03CM02 - Possess basic knowledge of the most common industrial technologies in the production of polymers and the engineering of the reactors used in the production process.

M03CM04 - Possess adequate knowledge of the large families of industrial polymers, their production, properties and most typical applications.

M03CM12 - Possess knowledge of the network tools and services that enable searches for information in the field of chemistry and similar fields.

M03CM13 - Transmit phenomena and processes related to chemistry and similar fields in verbal presentations and/or written reports and in a comprehensible way in either of the two official languages of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country or in English.

M03CM14 - Be able to use the information and knowledge gained from the module for training in existing or emerging fields related to chemistry.

1.- Introduction to Polymerization Processes

2.- Ideal reactors. Chemical reactions engineering

3.- Coordination polymerization engineering

4.- Free radical (co)polymerization engineering in homogeneous systems

5.- Polymerization in dispersed phase. Suspension and emulsion polymerization

6.- Step-growth polymerization

Theoretical and practical concepts (exercises, assignments, presentations…) will be developed in the on-site lectures. This part of the course will be evaluated by a single written exam and it will take 60% the final mark.

Computer simulations will be conducted to solve an assignment of a polymerization process. In this part of the course, the student will learn how to simulate polymerization processes using a commercial software package (Predici). In this activity, the student will have to seek for the necessary information in the literature, will have to develop a mathematical model for the process and solve it numerically using the simulation package. Finally, he/she will write a report and present it to classmates.

Lab training is also a part of the course. The student will learn how to run a polymerization reaction, and he/she will learn how to measure the kinetics and the microstructure of the polymer under investigation.

As explained in the table above, the written exam will be 60% of the final mark. The simulation report and presentation will be 30% of the mark, and the experimental laboratory work will be 10% of the mark.

As the written exam is 60% of the mark, in order to get a “Non-presented”, the student will have to inform the lecturer one month in advance of the exam.



If the student choses the Single exam method to pass the course he/she will have to warn the lecturer no later than 9 weeks after the official launch of the semester his/her decision (according to the rules stablished in article 8 of the chapter 2 of the student evaluation rules of the UPV/EHU). The lecturer will inform the student about the way in which he/she will evaluated in the single exam, but the exam will cover all the aspects cover in the 3 parts of the continuous evaluation. The Single exam request will be in place for the 2 calls of the course.

Required materials will be given at the beginning of the course.

Basic bibliography

1.- “Polymer Reaction Engineering”, J.M. Asua Ed. Blackwell 2007.

2. “Handbook of Polymer Reaction Engineering”, T. Meyer, J. Keurentjes, Willey, 2005.

3.-"Principles of Polymerization Engineering". J. A. Biesenberger eta D. H. Sebastian. J. Wiley. N.Y., 1983

In-depth bibliography

1.-"Reaction Engineering of Step Growth Polymerization".S. K. Gupta y A. Kumar. Plenum Chem. Eng. Series. Plenum Press, N.Y., 1987.
2.-"Emulsion Polymerization". I. Piirma. Academic Press. N.Y., 1982.
3.-"Emultsio-Polimerizaziorako erreaktoreen Injineritza".J. Asúa, M. J. Barandiaran. Zubize, 1985.
4.-"Principles of Polymerization". Third Edition. George Odian. J. Wiley. N.Y., 1991
5.- “Emulsion Polymerization and Emulsion Polymers” P.A. Lowell eta M.S. El-Aasser, Wiley 1997
6.-“Emulsion Polymerization: A Mechanistic Approach” B. Gilbert, Academic Press 1995
7.- “ Polymeric dispersions: Principles and applications” J.M. Asua, Kluwer 1997
8.- “Polymerization Process Modelling” N.A. Dotson, R.G. Galvan, R.l. Lawrence, M. Tirrell, VCH (1996).
9.- “Les Latex Synthetiques:Elaborations, propietes, aplications”, C. Pichot, J.C. Bernard, Lavoisier, 2006

Journals

Macromolecules
Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research
Polymer