PL ET6000 - Introduction to Plastics Engineering Technology Certificate

Course Description

The first course of this training is delivered online and designed to introduce the participant to fundamental concepts and properties of plastic materials and the influence of chemical structure on polymer properties. It will also introduce the participants to the primary types of plastic processes used in industry today. The participants will gain a better understanding of plastic materials and their importance in today's society. There are 6 modules and participants will have up to 10 weeks to complete them.
Module 1 will provide a brief overview of plastic materials and discuss some of the issues surrounding plastic materials in today's society. It will also lead the participant through some of the important events in the plastics industry that brought it to where it is today. Week 1

Module 2 will go into greater depth concerning the two main processes that are used to create plastic molecules. It will also cover different types of copolymers and the affect that side group arrangement can have on the material properties. The second lesson will cover how the length of the polymer chains can affect the material's properties due to the entanglement of those chains. Week 2 & 3

Module 3 will discuss how the arrangement of the different atoms in the polymer chain along with the different types of bonding can affect the flexibility of the molecule, which in turn affects how the material flows in both when melted, and when in solid form. It will also cover how temperature and strain rate have the greatest effect on the viscoelasticity of a plastic material, which is a fundamental concept in dealing with polymer materials. The last lesson will discuss how plastic materials flow differently than most other materials due to their long, thin shape and high viscosities. Week 3 & 4

Module 4. There are many different material families of thermoplastics and thermosets in existence and it is important for prospective plastics engineers to be able to distinguish between the properties, strengths and weaknesses of the different families. Week 4 & 5

Module 5 Thermoplastics have a wide variety of properties among the different material families, but we can further modify them and alter their properties with the addition of additives, fillers, and fibers. Many of today's applications with plastic materials would not be possible without some of these additives. Weeks 6, 7 & 8

Module 6 will provide a brief overview of the major plastics processes. This module will show the basic operation of each process and the variations of that process. The advantages and disadvantages of each process will be explored. Weeks 9 & 10