Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Polymer Durability: Aging Mechanisms and Accelerated Testing

In course

MSE-430: Life cycle engineering of polymers

Students understand what life cycle engineering is and apply this methodology to adapt and improve the durability of polymer-based products. They understand how to recycle these materials and are able to perform an environmental assessment, based on severa ...

Description

This lecture covers the three key requirements for predicting durability in polymers, including the importance of material knowledge and the development of scaling techniques. It delves into oxidation mechanisms, accelerated aging conditions, aging laws, activation energy determination, and the Arrhenius time-temperature equivalence. The coupling between oxidative degradation and stress, thermal transitions, and the Q10 rule are also discussed. Case studies on accelerated aging of polyamide 6.6 and the Arrhenius prediction method are presented, along with recommendations for testing conditions. The lecture concludes with insights on outdoor and indoor accelerated aging, emphasizing the importance of realistic testing conditions and sample representativeness.

This video is available exclusively on Mediaspace for a restricted audience. Please log in to MediaSpace to access it if you have the necessary permissions.

Watch on Mediaspace

Instructor

Yves Leterrier

Yves Leterrier joined EPFL in 1993 and is a faculty member of the Materials Institute. He is a senior scientist and lecturer in the Laboratory for Processing of Advanced Composites (LPAC, previously Laboratory of Composite and Polymer Technology, LTC). Activities 2000-2005: Foundation and Chair of the Korea-Switzerland joint symposia on materials and micro-technologies2004-2008: Board member of FLEXIDIS (the European flexible display consortium) 2004-2009: Group leader on lightweight materials for Solar ImpulseSince 2008: Board member of the French Adhesion SocietySince 2000: President of the EPFL Materials Science Library commissionSince 2012: Editorial board member, Applied Surface ScienceSince 2014: Associate Editor, Frontiers in MaterialsSince 2021: Coordinator of the EPFL Minor on 'Engineering for Sustainability' Background 1987: MS in materials science and solid state physics (INPL, France) 1991: PhD in materials science (Ecole des Mines, INPL, France) 1992: Research Associate, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, USA)

Official source

Related concepts (31)

Polyamide

A polyamide is a polymer with repeating units linked by amide bonds. Polyamides occur both naturally and artificially. Examples of naturally occurring polyamides are proteins, such as wool and silk. Artificially made polyamides can be made through step-growth polymerization or solid-phase synthesis yielding materials such as nylons, aramids, and sodium polyaspartate. Synthetic polyamides are commonly used in textiles, automotive industry, carpets, kitchen utensils and sportswear due to their high durability and strength.

Nylon 66

Nylon 66 (loosely written nylon 6-6, nylon 6/6, nylon 6,6, or nylon 6:6) is a type of polyamide or nylon. It, and nylon 6, are the two most common for textile and plastic industries. Nylon 66 is made of two monomers each containing 6 carbon atoms, hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid, which give nylon 66 its name. Aside from its superior physical characteristics, nylon 66 is attractive because its precursors are inexpensive. Hexamethylenediamine (top) and adipic acid (bottom), monomers used for polycondensation of Nylon 66.

Nylon 6

Nylon 6 or polycaprolactam is a polymer, in particular semicrystalline polyamide. Unlike most other nylons, nylon 6 is not a condensation polymer, but instead is formed by ring-opening polymerization; this makes it a special case in the comparison between condensation and addition polymers. Its competition with nylon 6,6 and the example it set have also shaped the economics of the synthetic fibre industry.

Knowledge economy

The knowledge economy, or knowledge-based economy, is an economic system in which the production of goods and services is based principally on knowledge-intensive activities that contribute to advancement in technical and scientific innovation. The key element of value is the greater dependence on human capital and intellectual property as the source of innovative ideas, information and practices. Organisations are required to capitalise on this "knowledge" in their production to stimulate and deepen the business development process.

Knowledge

Knowledge is a form of awareness or familiarity. It is often understood as awareness of facts or as practical skills, and may also mean familiarity with objects or situations. Knowledge of facts, also called propositional knowledge, is often defined as true belief that is distinct from opinion or guesswork by virtue of justification. While there is wide agreement among philosophers that propositional knowledge is a form of true belief, many controversies in philosophy focus on justification.

Related lectures (32)

Knowledge Representation: Introduction

Covers knowledge representation in AI, logical inference, and applications in various domains.

Ethics of Scientific Research

Explores the ethics of knowledge and actions, emphasizing good thinking as the basis of morality and advocating for a holistic approach to ethical conduct.

Transdisciplinarity: Integrative Research Approach

Explores transdisciplinarity in integrative research and sustainable landscape development.

The Printing Press: A Revolution in France

Explores the introduction of the printing press in France and its societal impact.

Michel Foucault: Birth of Biopolitics and Panopticism