Polymer Science and Engineering Program

Polymeric materials are an integral component of modern society and can be found in a wide variety of products with applications ranging from the packaging of foods to the manufacture of integrated circuits. The widespread use of these materials has also created a need to find methods for their recovery and reuse, or plastics recycling. The demand for scientists and engineers who understand the character and technology of these complex materials is growing tremendously.

The Center of Excellence in Polymer Science and Engineering (CEPSE) at IIT is an interdisciplinary research and education center devoted to the advancement of polymeric materials technology. The CEPSE was established in 1990 through a grant from the Amoco Foundation and is under the direction of the Department of Chemical Engineering.

Research Program

The polymer research activities of the Chemical Engineering Department are focused on the areas of polymer processing; foamed polymers; biodegradable materials; rheology; polymer characterization; plastics recycling; and polymerization reaction engineering. Research projects currently underway at the CEPSE include the following:

• Powderization of polymeric materials using solid state shear extrusion
• Compression and injection molding of polymeric and composite materials
• Formulation and processing of biodegradable agrowaste
• Process modifications for the manufacture of total knee replacements using ultrahighmolecularweight polyethylene
• Foam extrusion processing
• Measurements of velocity, size and concentration of bubbles in polymer solution using Laser
• Doppler Anemometry
• Molecular weight distribution characteristics for polymerization systems subject to long chain branching and/or crosslinking
• Interfacial polycondensation
• Electropolymerization fundamentals
• Polymer applications in fuel cells
• Emulsion stability in emulsion polymerization systems
• Interfacial rheology of macromolecular solutions
• Interaction of blood and polymer surfaces
• Extensional flows of polymer melts
• Rheological constitutive equations for viscoelastic fluids
• Numerical simulation of viscoelastic fluid flow

Graduate Curriculum

The education program includes courses in the traditional polymer science and engineering areas (polymer chemistry, reaction engineering and processing), as well as a number of innovative courses such as composite materials and plastics recycling. Advanced degrees are available at the Ph.D. and M.S. levels in chemical engineering with a concentration in polymer science and engineering or through the professional Master's degree program.

Faculty

The chemical engineering faculty actively involved in the research and education programs of the CEPSE include: H. Arastoopour, R. Beissinger, B. Bernstein, M. Caracotsios, R. Chylla, G. Ivanov, H. Lindahl, H. Linden, S. Parulekar, F. Teymour, D. Venerus, and D. Wasan.

Information

For more information about the graduate programs in polymer science and engineering and the Center of Excellence in Polymer Science and Engineering, contact Professor David Venerus at 312 567 5177.