Polymer & Biopolymer Science

Postgraduate

In Wrexham

Price on request

Description

  • Type

    Postgraduate

  • Location

    Wrexham (Wales)

  • Start date

    Different dates available

Overview of the programme This course trains graduates with a chemistry background specifically for a career as a polymer or biopolymer scientist. The course content reflects the renewed global interest in sustainably-derived polymers which are in increasing demand in applications including food and beverages, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, personal care, paints and inks.   It is taught within the world-leading Centre for Water Soluble Polymers, by a research group with over 25 years of expertise in this area.   Water soluble polymers are widely used in a broad range of retail and  industrial products because of their abilities e.g. to thicken and gel aqueous solutions and to stabilise dispersions and emulsions.   Our MSc Polymer and Biopolymer Science course will equip you with the knowledge to understand the behaviour of both naturally occurring and synthetic water soluble polymers at the molecular level, and how this influences their bulk behaviour.  Lectures are reinforced and expanded by study of real-life polymer systems in the laboratory.

Facilities

Location

Start date

Wrexham
See map
Mold Road, LL11 2AW

Start date

Different dates availableEnrolment now open

Questions & Answers

Add your question

Our advisors and other users will be able to reply to you

Who would you like to address this question to?

Fill in your details to get a reply

We will only publish your name and question

Reviews

Subjects

  • IT
  • Project
  • Skills and Training
  • Systems

Course programme

  • You will learn about the vital roles played by polymers in a diverse range of high value products – e.g in mayonnaise, sun tan lotion, wound gels, liquid pharmaceuticals, paper, ink, water based paints and flotation aids in mining to name just a few.
  • You’ll gain first-hand knowledge of biopolymer modification, polymer synthesis, and a wide range of specialist characterisation techniques.
  • In your Research Project you will interface with specialists from manufacturing industries and undertake a programme of experiments designed to develop the skills you want to learn.
  • Through case studies and your research project you will learn how to apply acquired knowledge in real world industrial scenarios, leading the way to success in subsequent employment.

The course comprises 6 x 20 credit modules of taught content and a 60 credit research project. The taught element is delivered by a varied programme including lectures, seminars, practical classes and may be studied on a full time or part time basis to suit you. There is a strong emphasis on development of hands-on practical skills using a wide variety of advanced instrumentation.

Taught Modules

  • Advanced Materials Science
  • Chemistry & Technology of Water Soluble Polymers
  • Formulation Science
  • Polymer Characterisation Case Study
  • Research Methods
  • Structure and Function of Industrial Biopolymers

The lectures and workshops are designed to train you in understanding polymer molecules themselves, and the way they interact with each other, and with solvents, surfactants, particles and surfaces.

You will:

  • Study the basic principles of polymer characterisation through a range of analytical techniques including FT-IR, UV-vis, NMR, ESR and fluorescence spectroscopy
  • Master the measurement of molar mass distribution using gel permeation chromatography with multi angle laser light scattering (GPC-MALLS), and gel electrophoresis
  • Use particle sizing techniques such as digital imaging and laser diffraction to measure aggregates, flocs and emulsion droplets
  • Discover Green Chemistry - exploring a whole range of biopolymers extracted from natural resources….including antimicrobial polymers from shellfish waste, gelling agents from seaweed, and oligosaccharides from locally grown grasses
  • Learn about man-made polymers and importantly, chemically modified biopolymers
  • Measure the viscosity and rheology of liquid formulations and see how this can be interpreted to yield structural information on thickened systems and gels
  • A module in research methods provides training in all aspects of undertaking research, from project management, through data analysis and statistics to communicating your results and writing your dissertation to ensure you are well equipped to undertake your project.

Research project

The course culminates in an industry-focussed Research Project. For full-time students this may be partly or wholly undertaken within a local manufacturing company. For part-time students the project provider may be your current employer. The Research Project gives you the opportunity to undertake a piece of novel research, and will often be based around solving a polymer application / characterisation problem for the project provider. It allows you to put into practice the knowledge and skills gained in the taught elements of the course.



Because of the individual nature of the research projects, no two projects are the same. Below are some of the titles of previous research projects undertaken by previous Masters students in our department:

  • Aspects of Adhesive Bonding of Low Energy Polymers
  • The effects of Surfactants on the Rheological Properties of Hydrophobically Modified Cellulose
  • Extensional Rheometry and Dynamic Light Scattering of Telechelic Associating Polymer Solutions
  • Simple chemical syntheses of polymer/silver nanocomposites
  • Phase separation of Gum Arabic and Hyaluronan in Aqueous Solution
  • Shear and extensional Rheology of Electron Beam (EB) Curable Paint

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the programme that will take the form of either core or option modules. Modules are designated as core or option in accordance with professional body requirements and internal academic framework review, so may be subject to change.

Polymer & Biopolymer Science

Price on request