Unit 4028 Materials Engineering with Polymers (T/651/0751) Assignment Brief 2026

Unit 4028 Materials Engineering with Polymers Assignment Brief

Introduction

This unit will provide students with the necessary background knowledge and understanding of the structure and property relationship of polymer materials to guide their selection of material and manufacturing techniques to produce a sustainable, fit for purpose product.
Polymer products are driving innovation and research around the world and are predicted to expand further to replace traditional engineering materials in a wide variety of applications. Students will be made aware of the wide range of polymer materials at their disposal and the opportunity for using the new grades that are being developed on a daily basis.

This unit will provide students with an understanding of the relationship between a polymer’s structure and properties and between processing technique and product performance. The ability to determine a polymer’s properties is crucial and this unit will include a review and practical application of the main testing techniques. One of the most important skills for a manufacturing engineer is the ability to distinguish between different types of polymers. This will be developed during practical sessions that will provide students with the opportunity to carry out preliminary investigations and simple identification tests. This will be supported by an overview of the main types of polymer materials.

Inadequate consideration of a specific behavioural requirement can lead to product failure and reduced service life. This will be addressed by providing techniques for material modification and learning how to use data sources for material selection.

In addition this unit will consider environmental concerns and offer solutions to reduce waste and improve sustainability.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit a student will be able to:

LO1 Examine how the fundamental aspects of the molecular structure and morphology of polymers affect their processing and performance properties

LO2 Distinguish between the main types of polymer materials to inform the selection of a polymer material for a given application

LO3 Determine how to select, modify, compound or adapt polymer material systems for a specific engineering application

LO4 Recognise the limitations of polymer behaviour and potential solutions to environmental concerns associated with polymers.

Essential Content

LO1 Examine how the fundamental aspects of the molecular structure and morphology of polymers affect their processing and performance properties

Introduction:

• Polymer concept
• Definition of the main terms, e.g. monomer, repeating units
• Classification of polymers (natural, synthetic, organic, inorganic).

Molecular Structure:

• Structure of polyethylene chain
• Chain length and molar mass;
• Molar mass distribution;
• Calculations of number (average molar mass and weight-average molar mass)
• Significance of molar mass to processing and performance properties of polymers
• Configuration of the chain molecule
• Confirmation of the chain molecule
• Secondary bonds between chain molecules
• Cohesion
• Adhesion
• Solubility
• Compatibility of polymer blends.

Polymer morphology:

• Aggregational states of matter
• Amorphous solid state
• Amorphous polymers
• Glass transition temperature and its significance to processing and service life
• crystalline polymers
• Melting temperature, conditions for crystallinity, effect of processing on crystallinity, morphological features (lamellae and spherulites).

LO2 Distinguish between the main types of polymer materials to inform the selection of a polymer material for a given application

Commodity and engineering thermoplastics:

• E.g. polyethylenes
• Modified polyethylenes; polypropylene
• Polyamides and aramids (overview of structure, properties and processability).

Thermosets:

• E.g. epoxies
• Phenolics; polyesthers
• Material storage
• Concept of gel-point
• Quantitative analysis i of cross-linking (overview of structure, properties and processability).

Rubber and elastomers:

• E.g. natural rubber (NR)
• Acrylonitlile butadiene rubber (NBR); styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), butyl rubber (BR), polychloroprene rubber (CR), ethylene propylene rubber (EPR)
• Introduction to vulcanisation and compounding
• Overview of structure, properties and processability.

Introduction to simple identification tests and techniques:

• E.g. density, solubility.

LO3 Determine how to select, modify, compound or adapt polymer material systems for a specific engineering application

Criteria for material selection:

• Definitions of material properties and characteristics
• Material selection flow chart
• Overview of selection methods e.g. structured and unstructured data; material selection charts.

Material testing to determine the properties of polymers

• Mechanical e.g. tensile, flexural, impact
• Optical (colour)
• Electrical (conductivity/resistivity)
• Thermal (melting temperature, glass transition temperature)
• Rheological.

Data sources:

• Published data e.g. British standards, ISO, material’s data sheet, IT sources, standard published data sources, manufacturers’ literature
• Assessment of data reliability.

Polymer modification:

• Review of polymer additives and their functions
• Consideration of their cost and quantity in a compound formulation e.g. fillers, plasticisers, stabilisers, flame retardants, blowing agents, colourants, cross-linking and vulcanising agents.

LO4 Recognise the limitations of polymer behaviour and potential solutions to environmental concerns associated with polymers.

Premature failure of polymer products:

• Causes of failure in polymer products e.g. visco-elastic and time-dependent behaviour of polymers, brittle and ductile failure, impact failure, creep rupture and fatigue failure, environmental effects
• Contributory effects of service conditions to failure e.g. faults in design and manufacture, inappropriate use, changes to service conditions such as load, time, temperature and environment.

Solutions to environmental concerns:

• Overview of relevant Government policies and Directives
• Acceptable waste management and disposal techniques e.g. re-use, mechanical recycling of single and mixed polymers
• Feedstock recycling to produce monomers, oligomers and chemical raw materials energy recovery
• Re-processing of polymers and its effect on processing and mechanical properties stabilisation of polymers to prevent weathering, chemical and thermal degradation.

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Recommended Resources

Note: See HN Global for guidance on additional resources.

Print Resources

Ashby, M.F. and Jones, D.R.H. (2013) Engineering Materials 2: An Introduction to Microstructures and Processing. 4th Ed. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Ashby, M.F. and jones, D.R.H. (2012) Engineering Materials 1: An Introduction  to Properties, Applications, and Design. 4th Ed. Amsterdam-Boston:  Butterworth-Heinemann.

Braun, D. (2013) Simple Methods for Identification of Plastics. 5th Ed. Munich: Hanser.

Callister, W. and Rethwisch, D.G. (2015) Fundamentals of Materials Science and Engineering: An Integrated Approach. 5th Ed. Hoboken: Wiley.

Fried J.R. (2014) Polymer science and technology. 3rd Ed. Pearson.

Guo Q. (2016) Polymer Morphology: Principles, Characterization, and Processing. Wiley.

La Mantia, F. (2002) Handbook of Plastics Recycling. Shrewsbury:  Rapra Technology Limited.

McCrum, N.G., Buckley, C.P. and Bucknall, C.B. (2003) Principles of Polymer Engineering. 2nd Ed. Oxford: Oxford. Univ. Press.

Osswald, T.A. and Menges, G. (2012) Material Science of Polymers for Engineers.  3rd Ed. Munich: Hanser.

Young, R.J. and Lovell, P.A. (2011) Introduction to Polymers. Boca Raton: CRC Press. Websites

Network Ambassadors Scheme

(General reference)

Essential Resources 

Tensometer (to evaluate tensile properties of materials, such as Young’s modulus)

Pendulum impact tester

Hardness tester

Controlled laboratory area for flammable tests on polymers

Links

This unit links to the following related units:

Unit 4001: Engineering Design

Unit 4009: Materials, Properties and Testing

Unit 4069: Properties and Applications of Materials and Emerging Materials  Pre-Production.