Dear ChE 530 students,

Thanks for the reminder about providing some guidance about topics for the midterm.

The exam will focus on the kinds of general topics that arose on hwks 1 and 2, meaning that the exam is limited to polymer synthesis. I decided that we're not quite far enough into the polymer science aspects to make it fair to include phase behavior and/or Flory-Huggins questions yet.

The different kinds of analyses that we did for synthesis are all fair game:

* molec weight and distribution

* chemical structure of different polymers and how it relates to synthesis, i.e. PE is (-CH_2 CH_2-), etc.

* step growth processes, kinetics, MW and distribution

* chain growth by free radical processes - kinetics and molec wt (including chain transfer)

* chain growth by ionic and insertion polymerizations

* polymerization methods: bulk vs solution vs suspension vs emulsion (There won't be a lot on this, since the book doesn't go into it in sufficient detail.)

The exam should take approximately an hour, give or take a little. Plan on an hour and a half to make sure you have plenty of time. It will not cover _all_ of the topics above, since it isn't possible for me to ask comprehensive questions about all those topics in the short time available.

I am still grading HW 2. I will get that back to you as soon as possible. I'm hoping to get at least some done before I leave for home tonight.

If you have questions, please feel free to stop by or to send me an email.

Prof. Greenfield

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