Plastics designers and engineers walk a virtual tightrope in their efforts to produce profitable products with the required properties, durability, and lifetime at competitive cost. A major problem in predicting failure is that plastics are the new kid on the block compared to older materials. A product s lifetime expectancy may exceed the number of years some plastics have been in existence, and performance in unforeseen service conditions may be practically impossible to predict. On balance, it is amazing that plastics perform as well as they do, given their short history, their complexity and their diverse applications. The course bridges the gap between theoretical and basic aspects of polymers and the failure of plastics formulations in commercial and industrial practice.
Prevention is emphasized throughout the course.
Case studies of wide-ranging types of failure of different materials and applications illustrate the underlying principles.