UE Nanostructured materials

The main goal of this lecture is to provide the students with basic and sound knowledge of the structure/properties relationships in polymers and composites. A deep introduction is first given to understand the characteristic temperatures of polymeric materials, before studying heterogeneous structure. Polymer-polymer blends are explained through statistical thermodynamics, blends miscibility and phase diagrams, phase separation, interface between two immiscible polymers, copolymers and surfactants. The most common modelling methods are described for phase diagram calculation as well as homogenization, practical examples are treated by the students. The scaling effect and the practical improvement in properties that can be obtained from micro- and nanocomposites are also critically reviewed. The prominent ways to add values in polymers through functional properties are described both with practical illustrations and more conceptual description.

Skills:

Knowledge of basic structure properties with polymers and composites. Both structural and functional properties are described. The concept of appropriate scale is developed.