Introduction to Polymers
About this course
Polymer materials (often referred to as plastics) are made up of long-chain molecules created by joining short molecular building blocks in an arrangement that repeats thousands or even millions of times. Plastics have become a vital part of our daily lives because this conceptually simple architecture, like the rungs of a ladder, enables polymers to display an incredible range of mechanical, optical, chemical, and electronic properties. But as engineers, we need to understand how to produce polymer materials whose properties are tightly controlled and match the needs of a desired application. Join me as we learn how the bulk properties of polymer materials can be exquisitely tailored by making tiny changes to their molecular level structure. We will also learn how to measure and quantify these characteristics so that you will be empowered to tackle some of the most important problems you are likely to encounter in engineering practice. And best of all, if you know how to count you’re already well on your way to becoming a polymer expert!
This online education course will teach you how the physical properties of polymers are intimately tied to their molecular-level structure. Whether you're new to polymers or just need a review, this course is for you!
