Topic: Polymer Reaction Engineering: Bridging the Chain of Knowledge between Polymer Chemistry and Polymer Production

Speaker: Shiping Zhu, McMaster University, Canada

Date: Monday, March 13, 2017

Time: 10:40 am - 11:50am

Venue: Room 207, Cheng Dao Building

Language: English

Speaker Profile：

Dr. Zhu received BEng from Zhejiang University China in 1982, and PhD from McMaster University Canada in 1991. He is currently a Tier-1 Canada Research Chair professor at McMaster. He was elected as Fellow to Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2010, and to Royal Society of Canada (the Academy of Science) in 2014. He was bestowed the title of Distinguished University Professor at McMaster University in 2015, and received the premier chemical engineering award in Canada, RS Jane Memorial Award, in 2016. He holds a 1000-Talents visiting professorship at Zhejiang University. Dr. Zhu’s research is in the areas of controlled radical polymerization, catalytic polymerization of olefins, polymerization modeling, surface modification of biomaterials, interfacial engineering for plastic microelectronics.

Abstract：

The human race is now living in the “Materials World”. Humanity currently consumes more polymeric materials than all other types of synthetic materials combined. Polymers are chain molecules and their materials properties are determined to a large extent by their chain microstructures. Different from small molecules, polymers are the products of processes, in which reaction engineering plays an important role in product design and commercial realization. Presented in this seminar is a chemical engineer’s point of view on advanced polymer materials and several research examples that include: high-strength polyethylene fibers made by nano-extrusion polymerization; long-chain-branched polyethylenes for the best combination of melt strength and processability; semi-batch reactor technology for controlled gradient copolymers; redispersible latexes prepared by CO2-switchable surfactant, as well as some recent developments in smart polymers.