Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
---|---|---|---|
2502444 Chemistry | OT | 4 | 0 |
It is advisable to have passed the subjects "Fundamentals in Chemistry I" and "Structure and Reactivity of Organic Compounds".
The subject is taught entirely in English, thus it is almost essential to have a good knowledge of that language.
In "Polymeric materials and biomaterials" we will study the properties, both physical and chemical, and the preparation methods of the most important polymers, as well as their main uses. Also, basic ideas about different analytical methods will be given.
The objectives of the course are:
1 Identify the synthetic polymers.
2 Know the main methods of preparation and characterization of the polymeric materials and biomaterials.
3 Determine and represent the structure of organic polymers and biomaterials.
4 Find out the properties of polymeric materials depending on their structure.
5 Knowing the main applications of polymeric materials and biomaterials based on its structure.
1. Composition and structure of polymers: classification and nomenclature, structure (introduction, composition and structure of polymer chains and types of isomers, copolymers, dendrimers, intermolecular forces) characterization techniques (IR, Raman, NMR, XRD), solubility and viscosity, molecular weight.
2. Rheology and macroscopic properties of polymers: macroscopic properties, rheology and mechanical properties.
3. Synthesis and applications of polymers: classification of polymerization reactions (polymerization stages, polymerization chain polymerization, polymer curing and other reactions), inorganic-organic polymers and carbon polymers.
4. Formulation, processing and environmental aspects: composites, fillers and additives, polymerization and environmental aspects, polymer technology.
5. Biomaterials and natural polymers: introduction, biomedical materials, main tissues and polymers as construction biomaterials; natural polymers from plants and animals.
6. Soft Matter: definition, colloids (sols, gels, foams, emulsions), surfactants and liquid crystals.
Laboratory practices
Synthesis and characterization of polymers.
Analysis and determination of polymer properties.
WARNING ON SECURITY IN THE LABORATORY
Any student seen involved in an incident that may have serious security consequences may be expelled from the laboratory and fail the course.
Students have to develop different types of activities throughout this course:
a) Addressed activities: In the class room, lectures on the contents of the subject will be given. In addition, questions and exercises will be resolved once the subject has advanced enough. Moreover, students also carry out lab exercises, consisting on the synthesis and characterization of macromolecular and polymeric materials. These practices are part of the compulsory practices of the Chemistry of Materials itinerary (mention). Therefore, if a student completes the mention later, he/she will carry out the itinerary practices in that academic year.
b) Supervised Activities: There will be tutorials to monitor the progress of students with different aspects of the subject.
c) Autonomous activities: Students will study the contents of the course and solving exercises by theirselves. They will also read related texts and practice recipes and they will write reports on their laboratory results.
Due to the heath situation, the 20/21 academic year is partially virtual. The specific teaching methodology may experience some variations, but in general it will correspond to the following:
Teaching material
Students will have notes prepared by the teachers on each of the slides in the course. These materials should ideally be supplemented by students using the suggested bibliographic resources.
Students will have a collection of exercises that they will have to prepare properly to be discussed in the face-to-face classes.
Periodically, students will do self-assessment exercises (without effect on the grade), proposed by the teachers, which will allow them to gauge their progress in the knowledge of the different aspects of the subject.
Face-to-face classes
The face-to-face classes will be dedicated to the following aspects:
- To present and discuss the most difficult concepts of the subject, which the students must have already prepared with the teaching materials, and to resolve the doubts that may appear in this preparation.
- Solve problems and exercises proposed by the teachers and that the student must have previously worked on.
- Discussions on current issues relevant to the world of polymers. Students must have read and prepared the discussion with the material provided by the teachers (articles and other sources).
Virtual classes
The teaching materials prepared and provided by the teachers replace the virtual classes "on line". However, teachers will stablish individual communication channels with students (mainly mail, although in some cases video calls can be used) so that at all times there can be a fluid interaction on the different aspects of the subject.
Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
---|---|---|---|
Type: Directed | |||
Lectures | 34 | 1.36 | 1, 3, 4, 26, 27, 5, 6, 8, 21, 2, 28, 14, 20, 19, 23, 24 |
Practical exercises | 18 | 0.72 | 1, 3, 27, 5, 16, 11, 12, 8, 7, 9, 17, 18, 28, 22, 23, 24, 29, 31 |
Type: Supervised | |||
Tutoring | 4 | 0.16 | 10, 3, 26, 27, 21, 28, 19, 22, 23, 24 |
Type: Autonomous | |||
Reading of texts and recipes, and writing reports | 23 | 0.92 | 3, 11, 12, 9, 21, 13, 22, 23, 24, 31, 30 |
Studying and exercises solving | 64 | 2.56 | 1, 10, 4, 26, 27, 5, 6, 12, 8, 21, 28, 13, 14, 20, 19, 23, 24, 25, 30 |
There will be a skills assessment that will include a practical module and written tests.
The evaluation system is organized in modules, each of which will be assigned a specific weight in the final grade:
Practical module: The lab will be evaluated based on the ability and commitment demonstrated during the stay in the laboratory (30%), in the correctness of the laboratory notebook (10%), and in the contents of a brief report (60%) to be submitted electronically in English on the date indicated by the lab supervisors. The mark obtained in this practical module is equivalent to 20% of the final grade for the course.
If, for organizational reasons, some students do not carry out these practices, they will be asked to make only one report related to the subject, written in English and that should be presented orally; this report will be also equivalent to 20% of the finalgrade.
This lab is mandatory for students following the Materials Chemistry itinerary (mention). If a student completes the mention later, and he/she had not made these practices, the/she will need to carry out them at that course.
Written test module: it will consist on two partial tests with a weight of 40% each. The subject is considered passed when the average of the modules grades is equal to or greater than 5 points out of 10, provided they have obtained a minimum of 4 out of 10 in each of the two written tests and have attended the lab sessions (or replacement work has been done in the cases indicated).
Recovery exam: To undertaken the recovery exam, the student has to be previously evaluated in continous evaluation activities covering 2/3 of the final qualification, i.e., he/she has to be taken the two written exams and has to be attending the loboratory sessions (just one written exam and the laboratory do not achieve the 2/3 of the final qualification).
Students who do not pass the minimum scoring in the first and/or second written test and those with an average of less than 5 points can make a recovery exam, of the failed test or tests, after the second written test. The completion of this test involves giving up the qualification obtained in the firts and/or second written tests, but will keep the scoring and the weight of the practical module (20%).
From the second enrollment for the course, students who have achieved the skills of the practical module in previous years (get a rating equal to or greater than 5 out of 10) they do not need to do that again.
When the number of assessment activities carried out is less than 50% of the planned for the course (the practical module and two written tests), the grade will be “Not attended”.
Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Laboratory module | 20% | 1 | 0.04 | 1, 3, 26, 27, 5, 16, 15, 12, 8, 7, 9, 17, 18, 28, 19, 23, 24, 29, 31 |
Writing exams module | 80% | 6 | 0.24 | 10, 3, 4, 26, 27, 5, 6, 11, 12, 8, 7, 21, 2, 28, 13, 14, 20, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 30 |
Polymer Chemistry, Carraher, C. E., Jr. Eight edition, CRC 2011
Introduction to Soft Matter: Synthetic and Biological Self-Assembling Materials, Hamley, I. W., Wiley 2007