Course Description: Polymer Processing

Lecturer ; Dr. Amin al Robaidi

Course Outline
Course No:
Number of Credits: 3
Number of teaching hours: 2 teaching hours
Aim:
1) To introduce polymer processing to the Material
science engineering students and prepare them to
understand the significance of manufacturing of
polymers in a number of applications.
2) To present to the students the state of the art of the
manufacturing methods and its significant impact on
part quality.
3) Basic design criteria for polymer part and mold design
will be introduced for the student to understand the
basic part design and its manufacturing techniques.
After attending the course students should be able to recognize the
different types of processing technique, and the way that the
constituent materials affect the basic mechanical properties of
them. They should be able to apply relevant theories in order to
design simple constructions of components and materials under
different processing methods
Teaching Methods:
The material is mostly presented by lectures although
demonstration of some
Manufacturing/testing methods and site visits are performed.
Student evaluation is based on class participation and presentation
of a project.
Laboratories are an integrated part of this course. Manufacturing
Lab available will be utilized to strengthen the understanding and to
be matching those processing techniques available at polymer
processing industry.
Prerequisite: Basic knowledge of introduction and advanced
polymers; polymer product of solids and strength of materials

Grading: 1st exam 20%2nd exam 20%

work and participation

final 50%

10% Home

Syllabus:
Week 1. Lecture: Introduction to polymer processing

Background
1) Overview of polymer processing industry.
2) The plasticizing extruder and other processing equipment.
(Parts/Terminology)
Week 2-4. Lecture: Basic controller and equipment
characteristic
Plasticating Extruder
1) Die Swell and Normal Stress
2) Melt Fracture and shark skin
3) Residence time
4) Poiseuille Flow for parallel plates Qp, Qd.
7) Prediction of die swells.
Week 5-7. Lecture: Blown film Fabrication
1) Terminology list.
2) Biaxial orientation.
3) Relationship between crossed polar and orientation.
4) Relationship between XRD pattern and orientation.
5) Simple biaxial extensional flow, mass balance.
6) Bubble pressure equation 10.20
7) BUR DR be able to use in calculations.
Week 8-10. Lecture: Injection Molding
1) Terminology of injection molding
2) Cycling involved this semi continuous process
3) Where is viscous heating most likely to occur in an injection
molding process
4) What is the main factor limiting the process (heat transfer and
details of what happens when this is too high or too low.
5) General feel for how injection molding program works.
Week 10-12. Lecture: Blown Molding
1) Terminology of Blown molding
2) Cycling involved this semi continuous process
3) Where is viscous heating most likely to occur in an blown molding
process
4) What is the main factor limiting the process (heat transfer and
details of what happens when this is too high or too low.
5) General feel for how blown molding program works.
Week 12-14. Lecture: Thermoforming
1) Terminology of Thermoforming molding
2) Cycling involved this semi continuous process
Week 14-16. Lecture: Twin Extrusion system
a. Terminology of twin extrusion system
b. co rotating and counter rotating extrusion
c. Stress strain analysis of laminated composites
Week 16-17 Lecture: special processing techniques
(Composite processing)

a. Hygrothermal effects on laminates behaviour

b. Failure of a laminate
c. Failure criteria for composite materials