Macromolecular Solids
Oral Qualifying Exam - Macromolecular Solids
This exam covers the basic physical aspects of synthetic polymers in the solid phase, including mechanical behavior of amorphous and semi-crystalline polymers, basics of polymer structure, properties, and processing, deformation mechanisms and time dependent response.
NON-EXHAUSTIVE TOPICAL AREAS
Characterization techniques for structure and properties.
- Optical microscopy & birefringence
- Scattering & Diffraction (Electron, x-ray)
- IR and Raman Spectroscopy
- SEM, TEM
- DSC, DMA
Polymer Structure & Morphology.
- Molecular size and shape
- Morphology of amorphous and crystallizable polymers
- SEM, TEM
Polymer Molecular Weight
- Number Average, Weight Average, and Polydispersity
- Characterization Techniques (GPC, Mass Spectroscopy)
- Typical MW distributions for major classes of polymers
Mechanical Response: Elastic (time independent)
- Glassy / small deformation
- Rubbery / large deformation
Mechanical Response: Viscoelastic
- Creep and stress-relaxation
- Mechanical models (Maxwell, Voigt, Standard Linear Solid)
- Boltzman superpostion
- Dynamic measurements
- Time-temperature equivalence
Yield and Plastic Flow
- Consideré constructions, necking
LEVEL (BASED ON UIUC COURSES)
- MSE 450: Poly Science and Engineering
- MSE 455: Polymer Physics (or MSE 454 Mechanics of Polymers)
HELPFUL TEXTS
- R.J. Young and P.A. Lovell, Introduction to Polymers, 1991.
- D.I. Bower, An Introduction to Polymer Physics, Cambridge, 2002.
- I.M. Ward and J. Sweeney, The Mechanical Properties of Solid Polymers
- H.F. Brinson and L.C. Brinson, Polymer Engineering Science and Viscoelasticity, Springer, 2008.