The course is focused on aims the introduction of main mechanisms and modeling techniques to be applied to the design of polymerization processes of industrial interest. The aim is to provide a general understanding of the effect of polymerization kinetics on both reactor performance and polymer quality, learning how to manipulate the process variables to achieve the process goals.

It is expected that students successfully attending this course:

- become familar with the main mechanisms of the most popular polymerization processes, both homogeneous and heterogeneous;

- become familiar with the most typical equations applied to evaluate reaction rates and polymer quality;

- gain the understanding of the relationships between reaction path and product properties.

Introduction to Polymerization Processes: microstructural features of polymers and their effect on properties, main polymerization mechanisms, polymerization techniques, main commercial polymers, popular polymerization reactors.

Coordination Polymerization: Polyolefin types and microstructures, catalysts for olefin polymerization, polymerization kinetics for mono- and multi-site catalysts, inter- and intra-particle mass and heat transport resistances, industrial reactors.

Free-Radical Polymerization (FRP), Homogeneous Systems: properties and applications, FRP mechanism and kinetics (homo- and co-polymerization, diffusion-controlled reactions, molecular weight modeling), Controlled FRP (Atom transfer radical polymerization, reverse addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization), reactor aspects and operating modes (batch, semibatch, continuous).

Free-Radical Polymerization, Heterogeneous Systems: high-impact polystyrene (microstructure-application properties and modeling) and vinyl chloride bulk polymerization (kinetic mechanism and polymer morphology).

Suspension Polymerization: surface agents, mixing phenomena, population balance modeling (droplet breakage and coalescence, numerical solution), physical properties, phase equilibria, effect of operating conditions on particle size distribution, scale-up.

Emulsion Polymerization: main commercial products, process description, mechanisms, thermodynamics, kinetics, main reactor types, residual monomer, scale-up. Related processes: inverse emulsion, miniemulsion, microemulsion, dispersion polymerization

Step-Growth Polymerization: main commercial polymers, reaction kinetics and most probable distribution, effect of non-stoichiometric composition, molecular weight development (linear and non-linear chains), industrial processes (PET, polyamide).

Oral exam. During the exam, different questions will be asked covering the different topics discussed during the course. In particular:

- the understanding of the main mechanisms of the most popular polymerization processes will be verified;

- the ability to write and discuss the solution of the most typical equations for reaction rates and polymer quality will be tested;

- the understanding of the relationships between reaction path and product properties will be tested.