Postgraduate Courses in Polymer Science
Have you ever thought about studying a postgraduate course in polymer science? Polymers are a group of significant materials which make all our lives more efficient, enjoyable and interesting. From mobile phones to transport to exotic holidays, polymeric materials are essential. Polymers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and application, for example, they may be used as plastic packaging and intricately shaped mouldings which are very familiar to you. On the other hand, they also find themselves as functional polymers for drug release or, as supports for cell growth in tissue engineering. For example a functional polymer is used to create a model surface to culture a patient’s skin cells, and heal burns and deep wounds previously not healable This technique is known as “Myskin” and is a spin out company from the University of Sheffield. Alternatively, you may see plastics materials used for transporting sour water in the form of sewage or for transporting pure water for drinking purposes. Furthermore, you may even realise that polymers are an essential component in structural applications in the form of the A380 Super Jumbo Jet, or the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The latter aircraft will have a fuselage made of carbon fibre composites. These use polymers to support the high strength reinforcement. So the discipline of polymer science and technology and polymer engineering embraces a whole range of interest for the engineer and scientist. If you are interested in applying for a postgraduate course in polymer science then read on to find out more.
The application of structural composites in aircraft demonstrates how the use of lightweight materials for fuel saving and similar applications can be achieved, which will enable the transport of more passengers more economically because of the reduced fuel used by the aircraft. The development of the Airbus A380 has lead the way but the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which is also being developed for entry in service in the near future will have a significantly higher fraction of composites. Both of these major aircraft developments rely on polymeric materials to reduce the weight and hence increase the payload of the aircraft. For example, in the Airbus A380 the huge structure which joins the wings together is made out of a carbon fibre reinforced composite. The fuselage for this aircraft currently uses a sandwich of glass fibre reinforced polymer, together with aluminium. In this way, engineers have successfully created lightweight structures for the aircraft industry. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner will use carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites for the fuselage and will have approximately 50% by weight of composite materials in its structure. There are also many other developments in the use of engineering polymers such as polymer bearings. Not least is the development in civil engineering where fibre reinforced polymers are being used to make civil engineering structures such as road bridges.
At the other end of the scale, you will find functional polymers in other major applications. They find their way into drug release materials for improving the treatment of disease through targeting certain organs with slow diffusing drugs. This is the so-called realm of soft nanotechnology where molecular materials are used for drug release, replacement heart valves or other soft tissues such as muscle. Polymer scaffolds with molecularly engineered surfaces can also be used for tissue engineering of replacement organs. There are also many good and interesting applications in sports, too numerous to mention, but faster but more controllable skis for snow sports have been developed.
If you have either an engineering or scientific background, you may wish to learn about these developments. Polymeric materials are becoming much more the norm in our society, both at the functional level, as in the case of “Myskin” or at the structural level in the case of high performance road bridges or airliners. Whatever your interest, polymers is a sound choice as a discipline for study both at undergraduate or postgraduate level since it opens up many interesting career opportunities.
MSc courses with a polymer bias are available in a number of key universities. At Sheffield University we have an interdisciplinary course in collaboration with the Sheffield Polymer Centre. The Sheffield Polymer Centre has links to the IRC in Polymers (Leeds, Durham, Bradford and now Sheffield). The Polymer Centre in Sheffield brings together more than 40 academics across engineering, medical school and the science faculty. http://www.polymer.group.shef.ac.uk and http://www.shef.ac.uk/materials.
In Sheffield there are two postgraduate taught courses on polymers. MSc in Polymers for Advanced Technology, and the MSc(Eng) for Polymers and Polymer Composite Science and Engineering. The students in Sheffield do a common module in Semester 1 which informs them about the fundamentals of polymer chemistry physics and engineering. During the first semester the students develop their interests either engineering, physics, chemistry or biological aspects.
At Loughborough University the MSc course in Polymers is much more directed towards the plastics and rubber industries. Traditional applications in plastics moulding and the manufacture of rubber goods such as tyres are used to illustrate the generic use of polymeric materials. Thus, the design and processing of these materials into a variety of shapes is a strong aspect of the course. http://www.lboro.ac.uk
Manchester University also offers an MSc course in Polymers. Here the emphasis is also very diverse, covering the whole range of polymer studies from chemistry through to processing composite materials. In Manchester there is also a strong textiles component, which is a unique aspect of the curriculum. http://www.manchester.ac.uk
The University of Birmingham also runs an MSc in Polymers jointly with Aston University in Birmingham. Courses in polymer technology may also be useful and these are available from London Metropolitan University. http://www.bham.ac.uk
In Edinburgh, Scotland, Napier University also runs postgraduate courses in polymers, with an emphasis on the technology of these materials. http://www.napier.ac.uk
This list of postgraduate courses in polymer science is not necessarily comprehensive. However, the most important issue is for prospective students is to identify specifically their overall aspirations and select the curriculum accordingly. So one University may offer a postgraduate course more suited for students wanting a career in the plastics manufacturing industry, where the technology of processing and manufacture is more important. Others may wish to choose activities which lead to the use of these materials in functional applications, such as bioengineering. Furthermore, interests may be of a more engineering nature such as composite materials. For Engineering Graduates the MSc in Composite Materials which is run at Imperial College, University of London, may be more appropriate.
The one important thing about polymers as a discipline is that the student can further his/her interests which can range from engineering to chemistry, to meet his/her needs. A postgraduate course in polymer science will enable you to continue your academic interest whist increasing your employability.In future, the extreme properties of functionality and structural performance are likely to dominate developments. Don't delay, apply now for your postgraduate course in polymer science
Contributed by:
Prof. F. R. Jones
University of Sheffield
http://www.polymer.group.shef.ac.uk
Related Links:
