DEPARTMENTOFMATERIALSSCIENCEANDENGINEERING
Mat E 453/MSE 553 Physical and Mechanical
Properties of Polymers
Course Policies and Procedures - Fall 2012*

Course Timing
Location
Instructor
TA
Office Hours
: Lecture – T & Th 8:00 a.m. - 8:50 a.m.
Lab – assigned on the first week of class
: 1246 Howe Hall (Lecture)
: Dr. Michael Kessler,
3053B Gilman Hall / 2220X Hoover
Ph. (515) 294-3101
E-mail: mkessler@iastate.edu
: Yuzhan Li
E-mail: yuzhanli@iastate.edu
: Open door policy and by appointment.
Course Description:
Overview of polymer chemical composition, microstructure, thermal and mechanical properties,
rheology, and principles of polymer materials selection. Intensive laboratory experiments include
chemical composition studies, microstructural characterization, thermal analysis, and mechanical
testing. Prerequisites: Mat E 351.
Recommended Text Book:
1. Brazel, C. S., Rosen, S. L. Fundamental Principles of Polymeric Materials, 3rd
Ed., John Wiley and Sons, New York, 2012.
References:
2. Fried, J. R. Polymer Science and Technology, 2nd Ed., Prentice Hall, Upper
Saddle River, NJ, 2003.

3. Kumar, A., and Gupta, R. K., Fundamentals of Polymer Engineering. 2nd ed., Marcel Dekker, Inc.,
New York, 2003.
Blackboard Learn and Website:
Additional resources, including lab instructions, will be posted on the course website at
http://polycomp.mse.iastate.edu/
Grades, will be posted on the course Blackboard Learn site (http://bb.its.iastate.edu/).
* Schedule and assignments are subject to change.
Desired Outcomes: The student will:





Understand major types of polymeric materials and their primary applications
Measure and interpret major physical and mechanical properties of polymers and
understand their origin
Select and understand major polymer characterization and mechanical testing techniques
and their strengths and limitations
Search, analyze and compare data on physical and mechanical properties
Show improved report-writing skills, communication skills, ability to work in small
groups, and delivery of clear oral presentation
Grading Policy:
Formal Lab Reports (4)
Memo Lab Reports (4)
Presentation Lab Reports (2)
Webpage Report (2)
Final Exam
Attendance and Participation
- 20 %
- 20 %
- 10 %
- 10 %
- 35 %
- 5%
A– (90.1-93.0), A (93.1-100),
B– (80.1-83.0), B (83.1-87.0), B+ (87.1-90.0)
C– (70.1-73.0), C (73.1-77.0), C+ (77.1-80.0)
D– (60.1-63.0), D (63.1-67.0), D+ (67.1-70.0)
F (Below 60.0%)
Note:
 There will be 12 laboratory reports by each group. Four reports will require a “Formal Lab
Report” format, four will require a “Memo Lab Report” format, two will be in the form of a
PowerPoint presentation, and two will be webpage reports.
 Each person will rate the effort of their group mates on each laboratory report for all
members of the group. Ideally, for a group of four students, each student should have a
25% effort. The score given to a particular student will be calculated as follows
Student grade = 75% of the report score + (25% of the report score * n),
where n is the average reported effort divided by the expected effort.
For example, if a report score is 80% and the average effort rating for a student on a
team of 4 is 20%, then the students score is 0.75  80  0.25  80  20 / 25  76% .
However, if the student’s effort in the same example were 30%, the students score is
0.75  80  0.25  80  30 / 25  84%

The final exam is scheduled for Friday, Dec 14, 7:30– 9:30 a.m
Academic Misconduct:
All students are expected to practice and display a high level of personal and professional
integrity. During examinations each student should conduct himself in a way that avoids even
the appearance of cheating.
Any academic misconduct will be dealt with under the policies of the College of
Engineering. The result could be a failing grade and/or dismissal.
Note:

Students are encouraged to ask questions and participate in lectures, labs, and discussions to
make the learning process lively and enriching.



Please leave all cell phones and electronic communication devices turned off and put away
during class and lab.
If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor early in
the semester so that your learning needs may be appropriately met. You will need to provide
documentation of your disability to the Disability Resources (DR) office, located on the
main floor of the Student Services Building, Room 1076, 515-294-7220 .
The policy of the University regarding withdrawals and incomplete will be adhered to
strictly. The instructor may be consulted for any clarifications regarding this course and
related academic matters.
Lab Schedule
Week
Experiment
Instructor/Supervisor
Location
Aug. 20
No lab – lab group and time determined first week
Aug. 27
Sep. 3
Lab 1: Synthesis of PS and Nylon 6,6
Tom Garrison
3344 Hoover
Lab 2: Gel Permeation Chromatography
Ying Xia
3311 Gilman
Sep. 10
Lab 3: Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
Eliseo De Leon
3344 Hoover
Sep. 17
Lab 4: DSC
Yuzhan Li
3113 Gilman
Sep. 24
Lab 5: Wide Angle X-Ray Diffraction
Peter Hondred
3365 Hoover
Oct. 1
Lab 6: Polarized Optical Microscopy
Yuzhan Li
3311 Gilman
Oct. 8
No lab – MS&T
Oct. 15
Lab 7: Injection Molding
Mahendra Thunga
0124 Davidson
Oct. 22
Lab 8: Tensile Testing
Amy Bauer
3305 Gilman
Oct. 29
Lab 9: DMA
Mitch Rock
3113 Gilman
Nov. 5
Lab 10: TGA
Danny Vennerberg
3113 Gilman
Nov. 12
Lab 11: Rheology
Samy Madbouly
3113 Gilman
Nov. 26
Lab 12: Film Blowing
Yuzhan Li
0124 Davidson
Dec. 3
Make-up Labs
Write-up Assignment
Lab #
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
Group 6
1
Formal
Memo
Presentation
Formal
Memo
Web
2
Web
Formal
Memo
Presentation
Formal
Memo
3
Memo
Web
Formal
Memo
Presentation
Formal
4
Formal
Memo
Web
Formal
Memo
Presentation
5
Presentation
Formal
Memo
Web
Formal
Memo
6
Memo
Presentation
Formal
Memo
Web
Formal
7
Formal
Memo
Presentation
Formal
Memo
Web
8
Web
Formal
Memo
Presentation
Formal
Memo
9
Memo
Web
Formal
Memo
Presentation
Formal
10
Formal
Memo
Web
Formal
Memo
Presentation
11
Presentation
Formal
Memo
Web
Formal
Memo
12
Memo
Presentation
Formal
Memo
Web
Formal