VLC Program: Basics of Polymers — Part 2

September 9, 2010
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm (ET)

Instructor: Dean Webster, North Dakota State University

Course Description

Polymer science underlies the technology of resins used in coatings systems. Thus, this VLC will cover the basics of polymer science as it is applied to the resin systems that are used in coatings. Topics such as molecular weight of polymers, nomenclature of polymers, thermoplastic vs. thermosetting polymers, structures of polymers, and the glass transition temperature will be discussed. In addition, the principles of step-growth and chain-growth polymerization will be described using examples from resin chemistries used in coatings technology.

Learning Objectives

• To understand some of the basic concepts, definitions, and nomenclature used in polymer science
• To understand the difference between thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers
• To learn about the basic types of polymerization reactions and how these apply to coatings resins
• To learn about the basic structural variations possible in the synthesis of polymers and how these can affect material properties

Target Audience

• Those who have the equivalent of college-level general chemistry with a basic understand of organic chemistry
• Coatings formulators who would like to understand the chemistry of the resins they are using
• Product development managers and those who are involved in technical sales would improve their understanding of the technologies involved

Course Instructor

Dean Webster is a Professor in the Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials at North Dakota State University.  He received a B.S. in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering Science both from Virginia Tech.  Prior to joining NDSU in 2001 he worked for Sherwin-Williams at their Central Research Laboratories in Chicago and at Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport, Tennessee. His current research interests include the design of high performance polymer and coating systems, use of high throughput methods in the development of new materials, low surface energy coatings, radiation curable polymer systems for microelectronics, and the use of natural products in materials.

How to Participate

All that is needed is a computer with Internet access and a telephone. Participants will listen to the audio portion via telephone and view speaker's slides via the Internet. Full instructions are provided with registration.

Only one fee is charged per location, regardless of the number of participants.

For more information, please contact ACA's Starsha Valentine.