Polymer Technology Engineering

Polymer Technology

Polymer Technology are used extensively in all products-i.e majority of household goods, electrical goods, and automobile components contain plastics and rubber parts, and often plastics are used to package these products. Polymers have become a rapidly growing sector of the materials industry and hence the importance of Chemical or polymer engineering as a career option has been increasing manifold.

Polymer engineering is generally a branch of engineering that designs, analyses, and/or modifies polymer materials for aiding the manufacture of articles from polymers. Polymer Engineering uses the theory and knowledge of chemical engineering to solve various problems involving the production and use of polymers. Polymer engineers use the principles of plant design, process design, thermodynamics, and transport phenomena to develop new products. Polymer engineering covers aspects of petrochemical industry, polymerization, structure and characterization of polymers, properties of polymers, compounding and processing of polymers and description of major polymers, their structure, property relations and applications. Many of the engineers currently working in the industry trying to solve these problems have background in either chemical engineering or polymers.

As plastic usage have increased a lot, proper management of plastic is necessary. This necessitated the requirement of developing Eco friendly plastics for reducing pollution and increasing re-cycle. Here comes the role of polymer engineer. They must have an understanding of both the properties of polymer materials and the processing methods used to shape them into the products we see in our everyday lives. Thus duties of polymer engineer involves supervising the production process of plastics and other polymers. It is under their supervision, plastic molders and technicians carry out the shop floor manufacturing processes.

Scope :

Job opportunities in plastic / polymer / Chemical Industries. Opportunities as Plastics engineers / Plastics Technologists and Plastics Technicians in various industries.

Polymer Technology Skills Required :

Personal attributes: Excellent analytical, communication and teamwork skills is a necessity and the candidate should be hardworking, good at organizing and solving problems. As the knowledge and duties of chemical engineers overlap this field, they must be aware of aspects of chemical engineering. Imagination, creativity are required for developing new products and in devising new uses of the basic product. Must be able to concentrate for long periods and pay attention to detail.

Polymer Technology Course Offered :

Below is a list of courses offered under Plastic Engineering:

1. BE Polymer Science and Chemical Technology.
2. BE Polymer Technology.
3. B Tech Polymer Science and Technology.
4. ME Polymer Technology.
5. M Tech Polymer Science and Technology.
6. PhD Polymer Science and Technology.

Eligibility & Admission Process :

For admission in a bachelor’s degree, the candidate must have passed the higher secondary school certificate (10+2) examination with science subject such as biology, maths and chemistry. For I.I.Ts, It is mandatory to qualify in the Joint Entrance Examinations (J.E.E).  The duration for this course is 4 years.

Colleges :

Institutes Offering :

There are a large number of leading and prestigious institutes in India that offer courses in polymer engineering or its related subjects. These include: Indian Institute of Technology (I.I.T), New Delhi; Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi; Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Sangrur, Punjab; Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Kochi; Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT), Pune; National Institute of Technology, Calcutta; Delhi College of Engineering, New Delhi; Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Mysore; Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, Mysore; SSE (Shri Shivaji Education) Society’s College of Engineering and Technology, Akola, Maharashtra; University College of Engineering, Thodupuzha, Kerala; and VRS & YRN College of Technology, Department of Oil Technology, Chirala, Andhra Pradesh.

Job Prospects & Salaries :

Talented professionals in this field are rising day by day, which has lead to creation of lots of employment opportunities for talented engineers. Career prospects include offers from plastic industries in production, quality and testing, polymer application industries for development of high grade polymer. The R&D in this area is also critical to development of new polymers and industries also employ engineers in development of techniques, processes in polymer production.

Graduates professionals can also seek employment in various industries such as computing, medical, pharmaceutical, electronics, IT, aerospace, automotive as well as the rubber and plastic industries. In the public sector polymer technologists, scientists and engineers can seek employment opportunities in the natural gas and petroleum sectors, such as in oil and natural gas commission (O.N.G.C), engineering plants, petrochemicals and so on.

Some job profiles :

• Facility Manager.
• Polymer Specialists.
• Testing Technologist.
• Production Engineers.
• Marketing Executives.
• Materials Technologist.
• Quality Control Specialist.
• Research and Development Technologist.

Remuneration :

Polymer engineer’s income mostly depends upon their qualifications and experience. For those who want to pursue a career in polymer engineering, their initial salary starts from Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 15,000 per month excluding other allowances. Graduates working in private sector can earn more than the public sector. Those who are in senior positions holding designations such as engineers/scientists with more than 5 years of working experience can get salary around Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 80,000 per month.