Polymer Chemistry:Raw materials and synthesis of polymers: monomers, homopolymers, copolymers, vinyl polymers; basic organic chemistry and applied polymer chemistry; free radical polymerization, reaction and termination rates using physical chemistry models; ionic, condensation and mixed mode polymerization.

Physical structure of polymers: primary and secondary bonds; amorphous, semi-crystalline, and rubbery states; molecular statistics of rubbery states; chain branching, networking; iso-free volume theory; properties affected by primary bonds; physical properties affected by secondary bonds.

Deformation behaviour of polymers: fundamental rheology; glassy and viscoelastic behaviour; effect of molecular weight, temperature and shear rate; structure-property correlation in glassy, semicrystalline and oriented polymers; free volume and fractal theories; tensile, shear, compression and impact properties; effect of temperature and strain rates.

Commodity and specialty plastics: additives in plastics; commercial manufacture and application; single phase and multiphase conducting polymers.