Virtual Book

We are developing this virtual book to tell the macromolecular story our own way, but it takes time and may never quite substitute for a real book.  Even if it did, advanced students should read several books.  Patience! ​

​Section I Chapters 1 - 10

Chapter 1   History of Polymers

• ​Appendix A - Some General Structure-Property Relationships

Chapter 2 Poly(classifications):  the many ways to classify macromolecules (SlideShow)
Chapter 3 Molecular Weight and Molecular Weight Distribution​

• Part 1 Introduction & Statistical Viewpoint
• Part 2 Kinetic Viewpoint
  • Spreadsheet
  • Slideshow: How MWD is measured
  • Slideshow: GPC
  • Slideshow: History of GPC
• Appendix A: Excel for Big 3 Distributions
• Appendix B: MALDI-TOF notes
• Appendix C: Radical Polymerization Kinetics

Chapter 4 Viscosity- Staudinger's hypothesis, a bit of polymer history, and tangible evidence for large molecules

• ​​Slide Show (pptx)
• Slide Show Handout (pdf)

Chapter 5 Polymer  Chemistry and Kinetics

• ​Part 1 Polymer Chemistry Overview
• Part 2 Polycondensations
  • Anatomy of Addition Polymerization​
• Part 3 Precipitation Polymerization
• Part 4 Types of Vinyl Polymerization
  • Radical Chemistry(Slideshow)
• Part 5 Coordination Polymerization
• Part 6 Controlled Polymerization
  • Appendix by link: Movie of Ziegler-Natta synthesis
  • Appendix: Polymer Properties in a Nutshell
• Part 7 Step vs Growth, Tg, Structure

Chapter 6 Polymer Dimensions

• Slideshow
• Excel Simulation
• Appendix: Persistence Length

Chapter 7 Morphology: Microscopy & Scattering

• Polymer Morphology
• Appendix by link: Bragg Law & Miller Indices from Penn. State
• Appendix by link: Pennington Microscopy Center Page

Chapter 8 Thermal Properties

• Part 1 Thermal DSC DTA TG
• Part 2 Lab PET Melting

Chapter 9 Rheology/Processing

• Part 1 Viscoelasticity (and a revealing relationship to absorption of light)
  • Appendix: Additional information
  • Slideshow
• Part 2 Polymer Processing
• Part 3 Reptation
  • Slideshow
• ​Appendix: Complex Numbers
• Appendix: Elasticity comes from entropy, The Entropy Spring Movie
• Appendix: Review Article on Gel Rheology
• Appendix by link: Fiber Spinning Setup

Chapter 10 Biopolymers

• Part 1 Biopolymers I **   
• Part 2 Biopolymers II
• Part 3 Polysaccharides
• Appendix: Gel Electrophoresis

Section II Chapters 11-16

hapter 11 Thermodynamics Review

• Thermodynamics Summary
• Spinodal Decomposition Library

Chapter 12 Macromolecular Thermodynamics

• Origin of Nonideality in Polymeric System
• Brilliant Successes of the Flory-Huggins Theory
• Abysmal Failures of the Flory-Huggins Theory
• Flory-Huggins in a Single Day
• Flory-Huggins Library

Chapter 13 Electricity & Magnetism

• Additional information
• Appendix by link: Introductory Electricity

Chapter 14 Scattering

• PowerPoint 
• HowTo Guides
• Appendix: Spreadsheet for Pressure vs Altitude
• Appendix: On-line Light Scattering
• Scattering Library
• Image: Legacy Light Twist Photos
  • Twist 1
  • Twist 2
  • Twist 3

​ Chapter 15 Methods based on Transport

• Part 1: Flux, Friction and Diffusion
• Part 2: Sedimentation-based Methods
• Wiki Link to Langevin Equation
• Appendix: More Centrifugation Details
• Appendix: The HowTo Guides for DLS and Sedimentation
• Appendix: The Sedimentation Community Free Software
• DLS Library
• AUC Library

Chapter 16 Spectroscopic Methods
​Chapter 17 Mechanical Properties (not yet)
Chapter 18 Polyelectrolytes (not yet)
Chapter 19 Micelles (not yet)
Chapter 20 Particles (not yet)
Chapter 21 Gels (not yet)

Section III Applications

 Chapter 22 Liquid Crystals 
Chapter 23 Fibers & Textiles (not yet)
Chapter 24  Polymers for Batteries
Chapter 25 Drug Delivery
Chapter 26 Adhesives and Fillers

Section IV Theory & Simulatons

Chapter 27 Math and Other Basic Resources

• Vector Calculus: Gradient Div Curl*
• Complex Number Tune-Up
• Diffusion
  • ​Legacy Project on Classical Gradient Diffusion
  • Video: Microscopy of magnetic Stober spheres:   Field On  vs.   Field Off
• Supramolecular Chemistry

​Chapter 28 Polymer Simulations



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