Events

Description:

Announcing a local polymer short course sponsored by the Golden Gate Polymer Forum

Polymeric Science and Engineering: A Comprehensive Basic Course
Prof. T. C. Ward and Prof. G. L. Wilkes
Virginia Polytechnic Institute

Jan. 14-16, 2005
ALZA Corporation campus in Mountain View

(The GGPF extends a special thanks to ALZA Corporation for providing their auditorium and facilities for this event.)

This three-day short course will provide an excellent introduction to polymer materials, structure, and properties for those who have not had a formal course, or for anyone who might like an up-to-date refresher course by two well-regarded instructors for polymer science. The combination of excellent experienced teachers, a convenient location in the Bay Area (with no travel or lodging expenses), a low price, and the convenient timing (one regular work day, Friday, and two weekend days), makes this an exceptional opportunity.

Please mention to those of your colleagues and friends who are not on the GGPF mail list but who might benefit from this introductory course. Many people who work with polymeric materials have had little opportunity for exposure to structure-property issues, or cannot find the time away from work to take a full-semester class. This short course should be highly useful for anyone in such a situation, and we believe it represents excellent value.

Course details and registration information are given below.

Polymeric Science and Engineering: A Comprehensive Basic Course

T.C. Ward and G.L. Wilkes, Virginia Polytechnic Institute

This course covers an introduction to polymer science and engineering giving basic definitions, terminology and critical concepts that are fundamental to understanding polymeric materials. While some overview is provided of polymerization behavior, principle emphasis is on the relationship between polymer structure and bulk properties and the characterization of polymer parameters, e.g. molecular weight distribution. Some time is spent dealing with the basics of rheological behavior for purposes of recognizing important concepts in processing/fabrication.

Drs. Wilkes and Ward have a combined total of over 60 years of experience in hands-on approaches to real life industrial polymer engineering and science and share as much of this as time permits. Discussion and questions will be encouraged, as well as the exchange of information and ideas among participants. This is your course and will reflect your interests within the context given above.

Modern commercial polymeric materials are included in the examples discussed. Deliberately, the short course is broad in order to expand the participant's knowledge for the future, not just to solve his immediate problem. There is, however, a strong emphasis on practical problem solving using a myriad of analytical, applied, and commercially viable techniques. The lecturers are known as outstanding teachers and serve as consultants for major corporations.

Detailed Course Outline:

Friday, Jan. 14
Polymer Parameters: A Course Outline
Introductory Lecture on Structure-Property Relationships
Modulus, Stress and Strain of Glasses, Rubbers and Semicrystalline Solids I
Morphology & Structure I – Amorphous Polymers I: Stress Concentration Effects, Crazing, Filler Effects
Molecular Weight Distribution, Free Volume
Morphology & Structure II – Amorphous Polymers II: Physical Aging, Block Copolymers

Saturday, Jan. 15
Semicrystalline Polymers Part I: Effects of Crystallinity on Properties, Unit Cell, Chain Conformation, X-Ray Diffraction
Characterization of Composition, Stereochemistry, Topology and Morphology
Semicrystalline Polymers – Part II – Kinetics, Quiescent & Strain Induced Crystallization
Thermal Analysis, DSC
Rheology/Processing – Part I
Modulus, Stress and Strain of Glasses, Rubbers and Semicrystalline Solids II

Sunday, Jan. 16
Viscoelasticity I, Creep and Stress Relaxation
Rheology/Processing - Part II
Viscoelasticity II, Dielectric Characterization, Dynamic Testing, Impact Strength
Rheology/Processing - Part III
Superposition, Accelerated Testing Methodology
Rubber Elasticity (if other subjects completed)

Practical Details:

Location: M10 Auditorium, ALZA Corp., 1900 Charleston Rd., Mountain View
Special instructions for access procedures, timing, parking, etc. will be provided to those who register for the event.

Continental breakfast and lunch provided on site each day, as part of course expense (no additional charge).
Wine & Cheese reception will be provided at end of lectures on the first day only.

Hardcopy lecture notes for both speakers (totalling approximately 700 pages) will be provided to all attendees.

REGISTRATION DETAILS:

Advance Registration and payment required. No drop-ins will be allowed.
$495 for early registration on or before Dec. 3
$595 after Dec. 3
No reservations accepted after Dec. 17.
No reservation will be considered complete until payment is received.

To register:

(1) Begin the registration process on the web page, www. GGPF.org. We will need your name, affiliation, and contact information as requested. (We will put your affiliation on your nametag.) The web page form will provide us your information; you still need to provide payment by mailing a check, made out to "GGPF" in the appropriate amount. Write the check to "GGPF", but mail it to:
Lothar Kleiner
P.O. Box 87
Los Altos, CA 94023-0087

(2) Your registration will not be complete until payment is received. Payment must be by check. We cannot accept credit cards so please do not contact us and ask if we can. For purposes of registration dates, or for first-come first-served issues, we will use the post office date on the envelope.

(3) You will be given a receipt on Friday Jan. 17 when you arrive for the class. If you need a receipt sooner, contact Lothar Kleiner at the above email address and ask for one to be mailed to you.

(4) Reservations will be accepted in the order received until the class size limit is reached. We expect to accommodate 110 and anticipate selling out. -----> Early reservations are encouraged.

Cancellation Policy:
(1) Cancellations by you: allowed, with refund available, until Dec. 3.
You must cancel in writing and have a verifiable acknowledgment from us that you have cancelled in time.
No cancellations allowed after Dec. 3.
Registrants who fail to attend and who did not cancel in time will not receive a refund.
If you personally cannot attend, another attendee from your organization my substitute by arrangement only (contact Lothar Kleiner). (2) Cancellations by us: in the unlikely event that not enough registrations are obtained, the class will be cancelled. If this happens, you
will be notified in December, and either your checks will not be cashed or you will receive a full refund from the GGPF.

Questions:
for course content or registration questions, contact Lothar Kleiner, lkleiner@guidant.com
for GGPF web page issues, contact GGPF Webmaster Russ Beste, rbeste@chemscope.com
if you can't reach either of the above, contact Clayton Henderson, Clayton.Henderson@HitachiGST.com