MATSE 453: Plastics Engineering

Homepage:

Textbook: Class notes and Modern Plastics Handbook, Encyclopedia and "journal"

References (on reserve in library, * available in office)
1. Birley, Haworth and Batchelor, Physics of Plastics, Hanser *
2. McCrum, Buckley and Bucknall, Principles of Polymer Engineering, Oxford *
3. Miller, Intro. to Plastics and Composites: Mechanical Properties and Eng. Applications, Dekker
4. Crawford, Plastics Engineering, Pergamon (Chem.) *
5. Progelhof and Throne, Polymer Engineering Principles, Hanser (Chem).
6. Richardson and Lokensgard, Industrial Plastics, 3rd Edition, Delmar Pub.,Albany, NY 1997*
7. Strong, Plastics: Materials and Processing, Prentice Hall, 2000, Upper Saddle River, NJ*
6. Intro. notes, P. Geil*

Catalog Description, Prerequisites and Schedule:

An introductory course to plastics engineering. Examines components of plastics and data banks; viscoelasticity, yield, and fracture; reinforced polymers; and forming, design (project), and current advances. Prerequisite: MATSE 450. 3 hours. 3 lecture-discussion hours/week

Course Topics:

1. Review of Polymer Science and Engineering fundamentals;
2.Design and design examples
3. Material selection

a. Data sheets and Encyclopedia
b. Polymer families (class presentations)

4. Process selection

a. Introduction
b. Processing techniques (class presentations)

5. Cost modeling
6. Life cycle analysis, recycling
7. Environmental resistance
8. Term project presentations
9. Discussions of Modern Plastics articles as appropriate

Course Objectives:

1. To review engineering aspects of polymer processing-structure-property relationships.
2. To describe and demonstrate methods of plastics design
3. To evaluate usefulness and drawbacks of plastics data sheets.
4. To evaluate plastics company's web sites for design data and information.
5. To evaluate properties, processing methods, cost, etc. of commercial plastics and plastics systems. (student presentations)
6. To evaluate different methods of processing plastics in terms of method, advantages and disadvantages (student presentation)
7. To teach students various methods of cost analysis.
8. To provide students with an appreciation of problems and perspectives in environmental, life cycle and recycling aspects of plastics use.
9. To develop an appreciation of current trends in plastics engineering
10. To design a product based on plastics taking into consideration (but not limited to) mechanical, thermal, environmental, cost, manufacturability, sustainability, and life cycle factors..

Course Outcomes:

1. Ability to evaluate company supplied information for design purposes.
2. Knowledge of uses and techniques of plastics processing, including limitations
3. Ability to "cost" plastics products, including life cycle analysis.
4. Recognition of means to develop life-long learning habits in the area of plastics engineering.
5. The appropriate design of a "plastics part"

Assessment Tools:

1. Oral (Power Point) presentations on

a. a family of polymers
b. a plastics company web site
c. processing techniques
d. design project

2. Two written exams, including questions submitted by the students on their oral presentations and drawn from assigned articles in Modern Plastics, Plastics News, Plastics Engineering, etc.
3. Student evaluations of the oral presentations before and during presentation.
4. Design project report

Contribution of Course to Meeting the Professional Component

100%

Prepared by:

Phillip Geil October 2006