Units / MTE5882
MTE5882 · Advanced polymeric materials
2026 Handbook6 credit pointsLevel 5Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Last checked: 23 Aug 2026 UTCOverview
Polymers are a ubiquitous part of our everyday life. Advances in polymer synthesis, processing and engineering have led to new applications exploiting the unique properties of polymers to realise advanced technologies far removed from their initial application. Building on a review of the fundamentals of polymer science, this unit will explore the use of polymers in a range of novel applications from biomedical applications to optoelectronic devices. Different classes of polymers will be discussed including conjugated polymers, block co-polymers and biopolymers with a view to linking the physical properties of the polymer chain to the functionality of the technological application.
Areas of study: E6011 Master of Professional Engineering - Specialisation: Materials engineering E6014 Master of Engineering - Specialisation: Materials engineering E6017 Mater of Advanced Engineering - Specialisation: Medical engineering
Offerings
| Campus | Teaching period | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Clayton | First semester | Teaching activities are on-campus (ON-CAMPUS) |
Assessment
The Handbook lists an examination for this unit.
| # | Assessment | Type | Weight | Hurdle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Online weekly quizzes | Quiz / Test | 5% | Threshold |
| 2 | Mid-semester test | Quiz / Test | 10% | Threshold |
| 3 | Laboratory work | Written | 20% | Threshold |
| 4 | Assignment | Presentation | 15% | Threshold |
| 5 | Final assessment | Examination | 50% | Threshold |
Continuous assessment: 50% Final assessment: 50% This unit contains threshold hurdle requirements that you must achieve to be able to pass the unit. You are required to achieve at least 45% in the total continuous assessment component and at least 45% in the final assessment component. The consequence of not achieving a hurdle requirement is a fail grade (NH) and a maximum mark of 45 for the unit.
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Requisites
Learning outcomes
- Illustrate how the properties of polymer-based materials are derived from the macro-molecular nature of polymer chains
- Assess new polymer-based technologies and critique the advantages and disadvantages relevant to other non-polymer based technologies
- Design experiments to evaluate the performance of polymer based devices
- Evaluate the current state-of-the-art of emerging polymer technologies
Workload
The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of 3-6 hours of scheduled learning activities and 6-9 hours of independent study per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher-directed learning, peer-directed learning and online engagement. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities.
| Activity | Duration |
|---|---|
| Practical activities | 24 hours |
| Workshops | 24 hours |
| Laboratories | 6 hours |
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