Polymer Science: Introduction and Major Polymer Classes

This lecture introduces the general aspects of polymer materials, including their historical context, societal relevance, major fields of applications, challenges, and their importance to EPFL. It covers the definition of polymers, examples of natural and synthetic polymers, nanostructure of spider silk, the 'Big Five' synthetic polymers, and the origin and history of polymers. The lecture also discusses the major application segments of plastics, sustainability challenges, beneficial properties of polymers, and the activities related to polymer science at EPFL.