Classroom Demonstrations
SPE and AIChE members visited area elementary and middle school classrooms to do hands-on experiments relating to plastics, polymers and engineering. This past school year, SPE and AIChE members conducted hands-on demonstrations in over 37 classrooms and reached over 830 students. This year was also the first year that home school groups from the Flint and Midland areas participated in this program. This program costs about $500 per year.
Below are brief descriptions of several polymer experiments that can be used in the classroom. Click on the experiment title to download the pdf file.
A good experiment to begin a session or for general discussion. Introduces the concepts of polymers and plastics, discusses natural and synthetic polymers, and introduces the ideas of polymerization (initiation, propagation and termination). Includes an activity where each student gets an ethylene molecule, and they link their molecules together to form a polymer.
This experiment illustrates the difference between thermoset and thermoplastic polymers. Students are given a sample of a thermoplastic polymer, polycaprolactone, that softens in hot water. They can mold the sample until it cools. Next, thermosets are demonstrated using two component epoxy putty’s that give off heat when mixed, and eventually harden. Finally, the student are introduced to molding by forming shapes using molds and putty, which are then baked to cure the polymer (Sculpey III).
The objective of this experiment is to identify the six kinds of recycled plastic polymers by measuring their physical and chemical properties. The students identify and separate plastics based upon their densities. Using fluids with various densities (water, alcohol, vegetable oil, and glycerine), students determine which plastics sink and float in different density fluids, and separate the plastics based on their densities.
This experiment is similar to the Plastic Identification, where the objective of this experiment is to identify the six kinds of recycled plastic polymers by measuring their physical and chemical properties. The students identify plastics using density separation and other properties including heat resistance and flammability. This experiment also introduces the concept of flow charts.
The objective of this experiment is to illustrate some of the characteristics of plastic that make products useful. Some of these properties include weight, strength, elasticity, abrasion resistance, toughness, chemical resistance, heat resistance and electrical resistance. Experiments are used to illustrate the various properties.
Please see the details on how to volunteer for this activity.
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