DEPARTMENT OF POLYMER AND PROCESS ENGINEERING (http://www.uet.edu.pk/polymer.htm) Programs Offered The Department offers the following degree programmes a) M.Sc. Polymer and Process Engineering b) Ph.D. Polymer and Process Engineering Focus of the Research The primary focus of the research in the Department is on following areas: a) Development of advanced polymers including functional polymers, composites and elastomers b) Advancement in the existing polymers to meet high-end requirements c) Application of polymers in the process industries d) Advanced polymer characterisation techniques e) Polymer process simulation using state-of-the art software packages A number of research clusters are operational in the Department each focusing on unique research topics including: Development and applications of conductive electroactive polymers (CEPs) in separation technologies, functional coatings and sensors Elastomeric blends and formulations for various applications related to automotive industry Application of polymer composites for the energy storage devices including supercapacitors and batteries Development of polymer-based nano-composites Meta-model based approaches to injection molding simulation (IMS) M.Sc. in Polymer and Process Engineering The MSc program was started in the Department in 2007. The curriculum is a unique combination of the advanced subjects related to Polymer and Process Engineering. The Department enjoys a strong tradition of research and development work. Students are encouraged to undertake and disseminate the research work in a timely manner under the guidance of the faculty. The Department offers M.Sc. Degree on Full Time basis. The minimum credit hours requirement for the award of M.Sc. Degree is 30 credit hours after an undergraduate degree. The program is divided into three semesters, on full time basis. First and second semesters are dedicated to the course work. After each semester, the students take the examination. In the third semester, students undertake research projects, on completion of which a dissertation is submitted for evaluation by experts of the field. Degree is awarded on passing the requisite number of courses as well as the successful completion of the dissertation. As per university requirements, a minimum GPA of 3.0 is needed to obtain the degree. Ph.D. in Polymer and Process Engineering The Department has stated the PhD program in 2014. The PhD at the Department consists of course work and rigorous research work. It is expected that the PhD candidates would produce
original contribution to the chosen research field. It is required to submit a thesis at the end of the research work for the award of the degree. Program Design The postgraduate degree program at the Department was designed to build on current activities and to provide a nucleus for the University s rapidly expanding industrially orientated research training and consultancy in polymer science and engineering. The key role will be to utilize the University s initiative in areas of multi-disciplinary polymer and process related research. The philosophy behind the design of postgraduate programme in Polymer & Process Engineering focuses on the advanced level studies in: a) The pivotal defining areas of polymer science and engineering such as functional polymers, macromolecule design and characterization, polymer rheology, polymer simulation and polymer composites. b) The core value areas in process engineering like optimization, process design, process control and reactor design. c) Courses from materials design and developmental point of view like polymer membrane design and applications, polymer blends, elastomeric materials etc. Postgraduate Faculty and their Research Interests 1. Prof. Dr. Asif Ali Qaiser Membranes, Intrinsically Conducting Polymers, Chairman/Professor Polymer Rheology, Polymer Characterization 2. Dr. Atif Javaid Polymer Composites, Multifunctional Polymeric Materials, Polymer Processing & Applications 3. Dr. Farhan Saeed Elastomeric Materials, Polymer Processing, Polymer Compounding 4. Dr. M. Shafiq Irfan Polymer Composites, Electroactive Conducting Polymers, Process Modelling & Simulation 5. Dr. M. Bilal Manzoor Polymer Blends, Polymer Nano-composites
Outline of the Courses for M.Sc. Polymer & Process Engineering 1 st Semester Sr. No. Course No. Subject Contact Credit Th. Pr. Th. Pr. 1. PPE-501 Advanced Polymer Rheology 2. Ch.E-501 Separation Processes 3. Ch.E-503 Optimization and Process Design 4. Macromolecule Design and PPE-502 Characterization Total 10 6 8 12 Grand Total 16 12 2 nd Semester (Any four courses) Sr.N o. Course No. Subject Contact Credit Th. Pr. Th. Pr. 1. PPE-503 Polymer Reactor Design 2. Process Dynamics and Ch.E-506 Control 3. Advanced Modeling of PPE-504 Polymer Processing 4. Elastomeric Materials & PPE-505 Processes 5. Advanced Polymer PPE-506 Composites 6. Polymeric Membrane Design PPE-507 & Applications 7. Compounding Principles & PPE-508 Polymer Blending 8. Advanced Functional PPE-509 Polymers 9. Statistical Methods in Ch.E-528 Research and Development 10. Polymer Coatings and PPE-510 Applications Total 8 12 8 4 Grand Total 20 12
3 rd Semester Sr. No. 1. Course No. PPE-601 Subject Master s Thesis (Supervised original Research in specific area of Polymer & Process Engineering) Contact Credit Th. Pr. Th. Pr. 0 18 0 6 Total 0 18 0 6 Grand Total 18 6 Contents of Curriculum PPE-501 ADVANCED POLYMER RHEOLOGY Deformation of Elastic Solids, Yielding and Drawing phenomena, Linear Viscoelasticity, Nonlinear viscoelasticity, Experimental Polymer Rheology, Rheology and Structure, Application of Rheology to the processing operations. Ch. E-501 SEPARATION PROCESSES Selection, design and scaling of conventional separation processes using principles of Momentum, Energy and Mass Transfer, Analysis and Design of novel separation processes such as Reverse Osmosis, Ultra-filtration, Dialysis, Electro-dialysis, Donnan Dialyses, Liquid Membranes, Gas Permeation through Polymeric Membranes, Foam Fractionation, Freezing processes Clathration, Parametric pumping and pressure swing Adsorption of separation process. Ch.E-503 OPTIMIZATION AND PROCESS DESIGN Basic concepts of optimization, Formulation of objective functions, Fitting of Models to data, Factorial Design, Analytical methods for Single and Multivariable problems with and without constraints, Numerical methods for unconstrained one dimensional problems and their evaluation, Direct and indirect methods for unconstrained multiple variables problems, Nonlinear optimization with constraints, Dynamic and linear programming, Application of Chemical Engineering problems and typical case studies. Review of process industry, basic concepts of process engineering and techniques, generation, analysis and evaluation of alternatives, strategy of process synthesis, technical forecasting, concepts and application of reliability, Distillation trains sand heat exchanger networks, latest and novel techniques and case studies. PPE-502 MACROMOLECULE DESIGN AND CHARACTERIZATION Classification and nomenclature, Polymer Reactions and catalysis, Morphological and macromolecular considerations, Chemical modification, Characterization Techniques including
Spectroscopic, Thermal, Size Exclusion, NMR, Raman, Microscopic and diffractions scattering techniques. PPE-503 POLYMER REACTOR DESIGN Multiple reactions, Series Reactions, Parallel Reactions, Hetero phase reactions, Catalytic Reactions, Polymerization Kinetics, Classical Reactor Design, CSTR for Polymerization, Flow patterns around agitators, Reactor Control. Ch.E-506 PROCESS DYNAMICS AND CONTROL Strategy and design of control schemes, feed forward, feedback, cascade, ratio, adaptive, self-tuning, stochastic control schemes, Control schemes for process equipments e.g. heat exchanger, boilers, compressor, distillation columns and complete plants. Fundamentals of computer control, simulation and online data acquisition, Process identification, supervisory control schemes and expert system. PPE-504 ADVANCED MODELING OF POLYMER PROCESSING Modeling of Polymer processing Operations, Extrusion, Calendaring, Fibre Spinning, Molding, Machine Design aspects, Computer-aided Design, Compounding Principles and polymer blending. PPE-505 ELASTORMERIC MATERIALS & PROCESSES Raw materials Characterization and selection, Vulcanization systems, Vulcanization mechanisms, Filler-Binder interaction, Black fillers, Non-black fillers, Elastomer processing operations, and Characterization of elastomers. PPE-506 ADVANCED POLYMER COMPOSITES Classification & Applications of Polymer Composites, Rheology of filled systems, Mechanical properties & Solid-Binder interaction, Nano-composites, Manufacturing processes. PPE-507 POLYMERIC MEMBRANE DESIGN & APPLICATIONS Classification of membranes & Process, Fabrication Techniques, Transport processes in membranes & Performance characterization, Thermodynamic considerations, Phase equilibria in polymer ternary systems, Morphology of membranes. PPE-508 COMPOUNDING PRINCIPLES & POLYMER BLENDING Compounding materials considerations & evaluations, Thermodynamics of miscibility and relationship to structure of components, Compatibilization, Blending procedures, Mechanical properties and structure-property relationship. PPE-509 ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL POLYMERS Introduction to intelligent macromolecules, Conducting polymers and applications, Responsive polymers and applications, Dendrimers and fullerenes, Carbon nanotubes, Shape memory polymers, Macromolecular nano-structures.
Ch.E-528 STATISTICAL METHODS IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Statistical Inferences, Confidence limits, Tests of significance, Effects of nonnormality, F-test, Statistical decisions, Analysis of variance, Cross Classifications, Linear regressions, weighted linear regressions, multiple and curvy linear regressions, Control charts, P-charts, n-charts, R-charts, X-charts, CUSUM etc., Sampling and process control decision making, simulated experiments. PPE-510 POLYMER COATINGS AND APPLICATIONS Introduction to coating, Adhesives, Paints, Polymer coatings including functional coatings, Electrochemical characterization techniques, Applications of coatings. PPE-601 MASTER S THESIS Supervised original Research in specific area of Polymer & Process Engineering