MAT 404 / 514 Polymer Physics

Spring '11-'12

 

Intended Audience: Seniors/graduate students who are enthusiastic about understanding the physics of polymers. Only a basic working knowledge of calculus, probability, chemistry and physics is assumed.

Aim: To develop the fundamental concepts required to understand polymers melts, solutions and gels in terms of both structure and dynamics.

Instructor: Canan Atýlgan – office: 2058; phone: 9523; e-mail: canan@sabanciuniv.edu

Assistant: Elif Özden Yenigün – office: 2102; phone: 2111; e-mail: elifozden@sabanciuniv.edu

Hours: Lecture – Tue. 13:40 – 15:30 (L061,L065), Thu. 14:40 – 15:30 (L048)

Textbook: Rubinstein & Colby, Polymer Physics (2003). ISBN: 0-19-852059-X

Evaluation will be based two term exams (25 % each), final (30 %), assignments (10 %) and participation (10 %).

 

COURSE OUTLINE:

Week 1: What is a polymer? A statistical view on chain molecules.

Week 2: Basic definitions: Structure, phases and weight of polymers.

Week 3-4: Ideal chains: Definition of chain conformation; chain dimensions and their distributions. Free energy of an ideal chain.

Week 5: Real chains: Excluded volume and self-avoiding walks. Deformation of chains. Temperature effects.

Week 6: Midterm I (Mar. 20) Introduction to polymer thermodynamics

Week 7: Thermodynamics of mixing: Energy – entropy of mixing. Phase diagrams. Dilute solutions.

____________________________________________________Spring break

Week 8: Polymer solutions: Type of solvents. Osmotic pressure.

Week 9: Definition of polymer networks. Random branching and gelation: Percolation. Branching with and without gelation. Mean-field and scaling models of gelation.

Week 10: Networks and gels: Rubber elasticity. Swelling.

Week 11: Viscoelasticity.

Week 12: Midterm II (May 8) Introduction to dynamics. Definition of relaxation phenomena.

Week 13: Dynamics of unentangled polymers: Rouse and Zimm models.

Week 14: Dynamics of entangled polymers. Reptation in melts and semi-dilute solutions.

 

 

Course Organization:

o   Problem assignments.

o   Occasionally, usage of simulations to reinforce the concepts.

o   Two midterms and a final exam.