Elements of Colloidal Dispersions
Type
Elective
Course Code
ΜΕMΥ-471
Teaching Semester
Semester A
ECTS Credits
7
Syllabus
- Introduction
- Examples of Soft Matter systems: Polymers, Colloids, Biomaterials, Surfactants and Micelles, Liquid Crystals, Emulsions and Foams.
- Polymers
-
- Introduction
- Types and names of polymeric systems
- Basic examples in Polymer Synthesis
- Macromolecular characterization, Chain architecture, Molecular weight, End-to-end distance and Radius of gyration
- Solutions, concentration regimes, interactions
- Phase behavior
- Amorphous and Crystalline polymers. Elastomers
- Polymer mixtures and copolymers
- Colloids
-
- Introduction
- Types of colloidal systems
- Colloidal Interaction, colloidal stabilization
- Colloid-polymer mixtures
- Dense suspensions and crystals
- Colloidal glasses and gels
- Presentation of a research topic or recent breakthrough study or modern application of colloidal systems.
Learning Outcomes
The course is an introduction to colloidal dispersions aiming in providing a basic knowledge on colloidal interactions, phase behavior and colloidal dynamics The learning goals that students should have achieved at the end of the lesson are the following:
- Familiarize with Colloidal systems and the main physical mechanisms governing their behavior.
- Understand the role of colloidal interactions in the stability of colloidal dispersions and the thermodynamic phase behavior as well as in the formation of out of equilibrium states such as glasses and gels
- To understand Brownian motion, and the characteristics of diffusion
- Effects of Hydrodynamic Interactions on the dynamics and their volume fraction dependence.
Recommended Bibliography
- Course notes (G. Petekidis)
- R. J. Hunter, Foundations of Colloid Science, Oxford, University Press, New York, 2001
- W.B. Russel, D.A. Saville, W.R.Schowalter, Colloidal Dispersions, Cambridge University Press, 1989
- Panagiotou, Interfacial phenomena and Colloidal systems 1998.
- D. F. Evans, H. Wennerström, The Colloidal Domain, Where Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Technology meet, 2nd Edition, John Willey and Sons, New York, 1999.
- R. M. Fitch, “Polymer Colloids, A comprehensive introduction”, Academic Press, London, 1997
Related academic journals
- Soft Matter,
- Macromolecules,
- Langmuir,
- Journal of Colloid and Interface Science,
- Physical Review Letters,
- Physical Review E
Student Performance Evaluation
Students are evaluated by a final written that includes a combination of:
- Questions on theory
- Exercises including calculations
- Presentation
Oral exam is foreseen for students with specific learning difficulties
Students have the right to view their exam scripts after the grading results are published and to ask questions.