This is the text for the Materials Design Module, a case study in engineering estimation and design of a plastic to meet a set of performance criteria. What you will find here are course notes, references, and supplementary information about topics relevant to the case study. This term the case study involves design of a plastic that is environmentally benign .

• Chapter 1: Engineering Applications

  • Degradable Polyesters

• Chapter 2: Polymer Science Basics

  • Structure and Properties
  • Index to Polymer Nomenclature

• Chapter 3: Property Estimation Methods

  • VERY brief overview of statistical mechanics
  • Ch. 16, Sections 1-5 of Physcial Chemistry, by Alberty and Silbey
  • Group Contribution Methods
  • Topology-based Methods
  • Molecular Simulation