*** Please note, each row and course# listed below is a separate, complete course. ***
Polymer Science Based Product Development for Engineers and Scientists
| Course# | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 172-0985 | 09/20/2023 - 09/22/2023 | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM | Microsoft Teams |
| 172-1165 | 04/03/2024 - 04/05/2024 | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM | Microsoft Teams |
| 172-1166 | 06/19/2024 - 06/21/2024 | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM | Microsoft Teams |
| 172-1167 | 09/18/2024 - 09/20/2024 | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM | Microsoft Teams |
| 172-1168 | 04/02/2025 - 04/04/2025 | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM | Microsoft Teams |
| 172-1169 | 06/18/2025 - 06/20/2025 | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM | Microsoft Teams |
| 172-1170 | 09/17/2025 - 09/19/2025 | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM | Microsoft Teams |
Online Registration
CEU's: 2.5
Instructor: Paul Nash, Ph.D.
Course Overview
This survey course is ideal for industry employees with engineering or chemistry backgrounds that encounter polymer science related product challenges. Polymers can be divided into specific types such as rigid and flexible thermoplastics and thermosets which are more commonly called plastics, elastomers, thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) and thermoset plastics (TSPs). Knowledge of what drives selection of these polymers is key to success for early career engineers, scientists and technicians in industries with high polymer use. Six common monomers can be used to teach these four common polymer types. For example, ethylene (ethene) monomer is used to polymerize PE, EPDM, TPO and XLPE and it is important to know what drives the selection of each in polymer science based product development. The course highlights differences between plastics and elastomers, similarities and differences between elastomers and TPEs, and between plastics and TSPs all with a product centric focus. The course also highlights the intertwined relationship of polymeric materials, processes, design strategies and testing. Thus, common plastic materials, processes, design strategies, and tests will be presented since plastic parts are abundant in many consumer and industrial products. Sustainable practices such as plastic recycling and use of bioplastics will also be presented. The same discussions and learnings will occur with elastomers, TPEs and TSPs. Upon completion of this class, students, engineers, scientists and technicians will have the polymer science breadth required to interview well and be successful in the many industries that depend on polymer science based product development.
The course content breakdown is shown below:
Engineering (50%) and Science (50%)
Polymers (10%), Plastics (40%), Elastomers (20%), TPEs (20%) and TSPs (10%)
Materials (40%), Processing (30%), Design (10%) and Testing (20%)
Online Course Requirements
We want you to have a great experience participating in our remote (online) courses, and for that, you’ll need the right equipment and internet connection.
Minimum needs are:
- A broadband internet connection that has at least a 2 Mbps upload and download speed.
- A computer (PC or Mac) that can support the latest web browser versions.
- At least 4 GB of RAM and adequate hard drive space.
- A microphone and a speaker.
- International Students: For virtual (online) courses, an additional fee will be assessed to cover the cost of shipping the professional binder (presentation slides), to your address. The cost of international shipping can be significant.
For more information, visit our Online Course Requirements webpage.
Instructor Biography:
Paul Nash, (paul.nash@hp.com, 541-905-4182) has degrees in Chemistry and Biological Science from UC Irvine, and a PhD from the University of Akron in Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering. He worked six years as an engineer in the appliance industry for Frigidaire Company, and 25+ years for HP, Inc Supply Chain in Corvallis, OR specializing in polymer selection and supplier development for inkjet printer and cartridge applications. His work centers around polymers including plastics, elastomers, thermoplastic elastomers - TPEs, and thermoset plastics - TSPs. Product sustainability has been a strong focus during his career and he co-founded EcNow Tech in 2008 which provides green products through wholesale, manufacturing, and retail businesses. In 2016, he started teaching polymers within HP which eventually morphed into the HP worldwide Polymers and Technologies Affinity Group (PTAG) so HP employees can learn, teach, guide, and solve polymer related work challenges. He also co-teaches a Polymer Engineering and Science class (ChE 445/545) since 2019 at OSU and UO in Oregon. Paul has six patents and five trade secrets to his credit.
Day 1:
9-10 am Polymers - Introduction.
10-11 am Plastics – Commodity Materials & Testing I.
11-12 noon Plastics – Commodity Materials & Testing II.
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1-2 pm Plastics – Recycling.
2-3 pm Plastics – Bioplastics & Macromolecules.
3-4 pm Plastics – High Performance Materials & Testing.
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Day 2:
9-10 am Elastomers – Materials & Testing.
10-11 am Elastomers – Compounding & Design.
11-12 noon Elastomers – Processing & Procurement.
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1-2 pm Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs) - Materials & Testing I.
2-3 pm Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs) - Materials & Testing II.
3-4 pm Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs) - Materials & Testing III.
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Day 3:
9-10 am Plastics / TPEs - Processing I.
10-11 am Plastics / TPEs - Processing II.
11-12 noon Plastics / TPEs – Processing III.
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1-2 pm Plastics / TPEs - Design.
2-3 pm Thermoset Plastics (TSPs) – Materials & Design.
3-4 pm Thermoset Plastics (TSPs) - Processing & Testing.