Postgraduate Courses

• Innovative polymer synthesis
• Synthesis of tailored polymers and copolymers
• Scale-up and control of polymerisation reactors
• Polymer characterisation in solution and the solid state
• Solid-state physics of polymers and polymer composites
• Processing of polymers by different methods in the melt and solid state

Contact Details

For further information, please contact:
Professor P D Coates FREng

Tel: 01274 234543
Fax: 01274 234525
Email: j.purvis@bradford.ac.uk

From outside the UK, dial +44 1274 234543

Website: www.bradford.ac.uk/acad/irc

Also see: www.bradford.ac.uk/acad/comppro
www.polymerirc.com (link will open in a new window)

Useful Facts

• 2 full-time professorial staff
• 10 associated academic staff
• 11 postdoctoral staff

Course Start Dates
September (but also possible in January, April or July)

Full or part-time
Both modes of study available

Fees
Full information on fees is available from the Student Registry Tuition Fees site at www.bradford.ac.uk/tuitionfees/

Useful Links

• School of Engineering, Design & Technology
• Maps of the Campus

Special Features

• The research groups of Polymer Engineering is a centre of excellence, and received a grade 5 in the latest Research Assessment Exercise
• We are supported by an Industrial Club comprising representatives from major companies from the UK and overseas
• Facilities are extensive and include much state-of-the-art spectroscopic, chromatographic, testing and processing equipment
• We host the Yorkshire Forward Polymer Centre of Industrial Collaboration, which focuses on industrial research projects

The Interdisciplinary Research Centre (IRC) initiative is specifically aimed at stimulating stronger interaction between scientists, engineers and technologists in the polymer field in order to establish a focal point for the discipline in UK universities.

The IRC in Polymer Science and Technology was established by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in 1989. The IRC is under the Directorship of Professor R W Richards, University of Durham, with Professor P D Coates FREng and Professor G R Davies, Associate Directors at Bradford and Leeds respectively. All three Universities had large and active research groups prior to the establishment of the IRC.

The IRC now has over 150 chemists, physicists, engineers and support staff engaged with IRC research programmes. There are significant research links with polymer groups at many other universities in the UK and internationally. The IRC is also engaged in educational and training courses for postgraduate students, industrialists and others.

The IRC is housed in modern, very well-equipped laboratories at all three Universities. Some of the facilities are unique to the IRC. All the main research programmes of the IRC involve the staff and facilities at two or more of the sites. Students and staff usually spend time at each of the collaborating Universities irrespective of where they might be based.

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Research for MPhil and PhD

Areas where there are strong interdisciplinary activities at present are the synthesis, characterisation and properties of polymers with controlled topology; conducting and piezoelectric polymers; the modelling and control of living polymerisation reactions for the synthesis of block, graft and other well-defined polymer structures; the design, fabrication and solid-state behaviour of polymer composites for engineering and biomedical applications; and the modelling and control of melt and solid-state processing of polymeric materials.

The IRC activities at Bradford are primarily centred in the School of Engineering, Design and Technology. Professor Coates and Professor Benkreira lead the IRC, with some ten other academic staff active in IRC-related research programmes.

The strengths at the Bradford site are:

• Melt processing of polymers by injection moulding and extrusion
• Monitoring and control of polymer-processing methods including process measurements and statistical manufacturing techniques
• Continuous reactive processing of polymers and polymer composites
• Characterisation of mechanical properties of polymers
• Rheology of polymer melts, slurries and polymer colloids
• Thin film coating, including roll, slot, curtain and gravure coating
• Finite element modelling of polymer solid deformation
• Computational fluid dynamic modelling of polymer flow
• Novel sensors and measurement techniques, including image analysis, flow visualisation, ultrasound and infrared

The IRC laboratories are extensively equipped and modern, and are strongly supported by industry. These include the main polymer processing hall (injection and extrusion processing), and mixing/coating laboratory, and a modelling workstations suite.

We host the Yorkshire Forward Polymer Centre of Industrial Collaboration, focusing on industrial research projects.

Entrance Requirements

The IRC has a number of research studentships available each year. Applicants for research studentships should hold a good Honours degree (or its equivalent) in mechanical, electrical or chemical engineering, materials science, physics, chemistry or mathematics.

The IRC also engages postdoctoral research staff. Applicants for postdoctoral positions should have a good academic background and a specific interest in areas of polymer research relevant to the work of the IRC.

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6 June 2007