Enhancement of Undergraduate Engineering and Chemistry Curricula by Incorporation of a Polymer Synthesis/ Characterization Capability

威诺纳州立大学工程系提供复合材料工程的工程学学士学位。复合材料是一种轻质材料，表现出高强度和高刚性，通过将增强纤维嵌入到聚合物、陶瓷或金属基质中而制成。该项目的目的是建立目前该项目所不具备的聚合物合成和分子量表征能力。为了实现这一目标，我们要求购买一个玻璃反应器、一个高压金属反应器、两个粘度计和一个高温凝胶渗透色谱仪(GPC)装置。这些仪器将用于“动手”聚合物和工程实验室教学，并用于教师和学生对用作复合结构基质的先进聚合物材料的合成和表征的独立研究。该设备的获得在将合成实验室经验融入化学和复合材料工程课程的过程中起着关键作用。

The Department of Engineering at Winona State University offers a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Composite Materials Engineering. Composites are lightweight materials which exhibit both high strength and stiffness and are fabricated by embedding reinforcing fibers into a polymeric, ceramic, or metal matrix. The aim of this project is to establish polymer synthesis and molecular weight characterization capabilities which are currently absent in this program. To achieve this objective, we are requesting the purchase of a glass reactor, a high pressure metal reactor, two viscometers, and a high temperature gel permeation chromatograph (GPC) unit. These instruments will be used in "hands on" polymer and engineering laboratory instruction, and for independent faculty-student research on synthesis and characterization of advanced polymeric materials for use as matrices in composite structures. The acquisition of this equipment plays a critical role in the integration of synthesis laboratory experience into the chemistry and composite materials engineering curricula.