MSc Polymer Materials Science and Engineering

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2026, the tuition fees are as follows:

• MSc (full-time)
  UK students (per annum): £14,700
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £39,400

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

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The unit gives an introduction to the processing, structure and properties of advanced composite materials, including nano-composites.  Specific topics cover: Production, characterisation and properties of polymer nanocomposites; An Introduction to Composites Applications; The Theory of Composite Materials, with emphasis on the mechanical properties of particulate and fibre reinforced composites; unidirectional and multidirectional laminates; stress analysis and failure criteria; Ceramic and Metal Matrix Composites, covering properties, methods of production and applications; Manufacturing of Advanced Polymer-matrix Composites.

The unit aims to:

Introduce different types of composites and their advantages and disadvantages compared to traditional engineering materials.  On the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• define the production and characterisation techniques applicable to polymer nanocomposites.
• discuss the behaviour of nanocomposite materials; with a focus on mechanical properties as well as thermal, and electrical conductivity, and combinations to provide multi-functionality.
• describe the basic micromechanics of particulate, long and short fibre reinforced composites; 
• describe the main technologies for the production of components from composite materials;
• apply the theory which underlies these processing operations;
• analyse stiffness and strength of unidirectional laminates, failure criteria
• Destructive and Non-destructive testing of composites

 

A greater depth of the learning outcomes will be covered in the following sections:

• Knowledge and understanding
• Intellectual skills
• Practical skills
• Transferable skills and personal qualities

• Facilitated learning activities (Including lectures, tutorials and a practical)
• Independent learning activities (Including practical writing, research and private study)
• Blackboard – All lecture notes, questions sheets and handouts will be available electronically

 

• Identify and describe the beneficial effects of nanoscale reinforcements and how these affect the micromechanics as well as thermal and electrical properties.
• Explain the nature and applications of composite materials.
• Explain the basic theory describing the mechanical properties (stiffness and strength) of particulate- and fibre-reinforced composites; Stress analysis and failure criteria
• Describe the details of the technologies for the production of composite artefacts
• Explain the interrelation between the design and manufacture of polymer composite artefacts
• Explain the electrical and thermal transport behaviour of nanocomposite materials.

• Evaluate a component design and select an appropriate process ‘chain’ (material-process combination)
• Apply models to predict the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of composite materials.
• Identify the appropriate technologies for the production of given artefacts.

• Estimate stiffness and ultimate strength of laminated plates
• Solve problems relating to applications of composite materials.

Data analysis and application to relate polymer, metal, ceramic and composite structure and properties. 

Feedback given (written and verbal)

• Introduction to Composite Materials, D. Hull, T.W. Clyne. Cambridge Univ. Press, 1996.
• Introduction to Metal Matrix Composites by T.W. Clyne and P.J. Withers, Cambridge UP, 1993
• Ceramic Matrix Composites, K.K. Chawla, Chapman & Hall, 1993
• Introduction to Polymers, Chapter 24, R.J. Young, P.A. Lovell, CRC Press, 2011
• Manufacturing Processes for Advanced Composites, F.C. Campbell, Elsevier, 2004.
• Processing of Composites [electronic resource] / R.S. Dave¿, A.C. Loos (editors), 2000, Knovel
• E-book (available via library Electronic Resources).
• Polymer Processing and Structure Development, A.N. Wilkinson, A.J. Ryan, Kluwer, 1998.
• Manufacturing of Polymer Composites, B.T. A¿stro¿m, Chapman and Hall, 1997.
• Liquid Moulding Technologies, C.D. Rudd, Woodhead, 1997.
• Composite Materials: Functional Materials for Modern Technologies, D. Chung, Springer, 2003.
• Polymer Nanocomposites: Electrical and Thermal Properties, Huang, X., Zhi, C., Springer 2016
• Smart Polymer Nanocomposites: Energy Harvesting, Self-Healing and Shape Memory Applications, Ponnamma, P., Springer, 2017
• Polymer Nanocomposites: Towards Multi-Functionality, Dasari, A., Springer 2016