Plastics for Bioengineers

Position and development of the plastics industry, role of plastics in economy. Definitions, classes of plastics, most important properties. Radical polymerization. Polycondensation, production of cross-linked polymers. A brief introduction to the plastics used the most often or in the larges quantities. Models of polymer physics. Polymer solutions. Phases and physical states. Behaviour of solid polymers, rubber elasticity. Uniaxial deformation, tensile testing, necking. Fracture, brittle and ductile failure. Relationship of molecular and macroscopic structure, characteristic temperatures, properties. Crystalline polymers. Melting, crystallization, polymorphism. Correlation between crystalline structure and properties. Structure of amorphous polymers. Polymer blends and composites, relationship between component properties and the characteristics of the composites. Physical states and processing modes. Processing in the melt and in the rubber elastic state. Machining. Application of plastics. Type and cause of degradation. Type of additives and their effect on polymer properties. Plastics and the environment. Plastics based on natural resources. Biodegradable polymers.

Lab practice demonstrating the most important processing technologies and quality control methods.