Teaching Free Radical Polymerization Using FRPython: A Pilot Course of Polymer Chemistry for Pharmacy Students by Computer Simulation Experiment
WANG Ze1, REN Juan1, LI Li2*, CHEN Yang1*
1. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zunyi Medical University at Zhuhai Campus, Zhuhai 519041, China;
2. National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Abstract A python based program FRPython was developed to perform computer simulation of free radical polymerization for the purpose of undergraduate education. FRPython integrates ordinary differential equations in free radical polymerization system, and calculates the concentrations of initiator, initiator radical, monomer, chain radical, kinetic chain length, and the distribution of polymerization degree. As an example, the polymerization kinetics of polymethyl methacrylate with the initiator benzoyl peroxide was simulated by FRPython. The results indicated the usefulness of using computer simulation as an alternative way to teach pharmacy students free radical polymerization in polymer chemistry course.
WANG Ze, REN Juan, LI Li, CHEN Yang. Teaching Free Radical Polymerization Using FRPython: A Pilot Course of Polymer Chemistry for Pharmacy Students by Computer Simulation Experiment[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Education, 2020, 41(12): 86-90.
