After successfully finishing this course a student is able to:
indicate how the chemical and physical structure of the polymer chains affect the properties of the polymer
describe the different phase transitions and corresponding changes in physical structure and mechanical properties.
use existing models for (time dependent) small deformations in plastic components (linear visco-elastic theory including Boltzmann and time-temperature superposition) in the calculation of (time dependent) deformations or stresses
use the molecular composition of the polymer to explain mechanical behaviour during large deformations and fracture.
explain the behaviour of plastics during production processes and make changes to the design of the production process to prevent undesirable behaviour.
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This is a part of module 6, ME 6 Product Design of the Bachelor Mechanical Engineering. See here for the compete description of the module.
For polymer products, a relation exists between the production step, the resulting micro-structure of the polymer and the final properties the product. Also, the everyday use of polymers is quite different compared to traditional metal parts. Important questions are:
- In which situations would you preferably select a polymer? In which cases is wise not to use polymers?
- Which material properties are important in this decision?
- How can we explain the (mechanical) properties of polymers starting from their molecular structure?
In view of the important development towards saving energy, a lot of effort has been put in reducing the weight of existing constructions. This has been an ongoing trend in the airplane industry, but this trend progresses towards more and more new products. In many cases, this weight reduction is achieved by implement lightweight polymer components. As a mechanical engineer, it is very likely that at some point in your career you will have to work with polymers. Because polymers differ significantly from metals, is it important to understand their unique properties and to already take these into account during the design phase of a product. In this series of lectures, first the chemical and physical structure of polymers is used as a basis to explain their time and temperature dependent mechanical properties.
In addition, the processing step and the influence of different processing conditions on the final product are discussed.
Non-ME students can take this course if they meet the entry requirements.
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