Chemistry 4210/5210 Syllabus

Fall 2010
Chemistry of Polymers  
Textbooks
Required reading The Elements of Polymer Science and Engineering, Alfred Rudin, Academic Press, 2nd edition, ISBN = 0-12-601685-2
Instructor Information
Name David J. Crouse
Email dcrouse@tntech.edu 
Office location Foster Hall Room 313
Phone 931-372-3515
Class Meetings
Days MWF
Time 1:25 - 2:20 PM
Room Room 201 Foster Hall
Course Information
Course title Chemistry of Polymers
Course number CHEM 4210/5210
Course discipline Chemistry
Course description Polymers or macromolecules represent a significant portion of activity in the chemical industry and our daily lives. Our modern world would be totally different without artificial fibers, plastics, elastomers, etc. Roughly 60% of industrial chemists and engineers will work with polymeric materials. Plastics and monomeric precursors represent over 16 billion dollars in U.S. exports each year, approximately 35% of the national 'trade balance'. From this data and our daily experience, it should be obvious that no chemist (or chemical engineer) can be considered adequately trained without some introduction to this field.
Polymer science is an intensive field unto itself, incorporating aspects of organic and physical chemistry and chemical and mechanical engineering. Many universities have science and engineering departments devoted solely to polymeric materials. Polymers can be both organic or inorganic, natural or synthetic. The complexity of this subject requires that we draw from a wide variety of disciplines. This course is intended to provide the student with a brief introduction to this complex field. Our concentration will be primarily on the physical and chemical principles which govern the preparation and properties of macromolecules. We will also examine how the properties of polymers are analyzed and correlated to structure.

Lecture Schedule
Grade Information
Grade Computation Your course grade will be computed as follows:

Problems = 25% Assigned problems from the chapters and handouts will be turned in for grading. 
Independent Project = 20% A literature or laboratory project - requirements are dependent on the course credit level. 
Mid-Term Exam = 25%  Short answer, multiple choice and arithmetic problems from the term to date.
Final Exam = 30% Similar to the mid-term, but comprehensive over the entire term with an emphasis on materal since mid-term.

The letter grade will be based on the following minimum scale. 
A: 90-100%
B: 80- 90%
C: 70-80%
D: 60-70%
F: < 60%

ADA Statement
  Students with a disability requiring accommodations should contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS). An Accommodation Request (AR) should be completed as soon as possible, preferably by the end of the first week of the course. The contact is located in the Roaden University Center, Room 112; phone 372-6119. 
Cheating
 
Cheating will absolutely not be tolerated in Chem 4210 or any other TTU course. Please consult the Student Handbook to learn the University policy on cheating, and what options are available to the instructor in cases of cheating.