Educational: To pursue a career in polymer engineering
one must opt for chemistry, physics and mathematics at 10+2 level. B.E./B.Tech
in polymer engineering is the basic qualification required to be in this
field.
Degree and postgraduate degree courses are offered by the engineering
colleges and Institutes of Technology (IITs), and diploma courses by various
polytechnics. Admission for B.E./B.Tech is made on the basis of entrance
examination (joint entrance exam / JEE for the IIT's and separate state
level and national level exams for other institutions). The national level
exam AIEEE is also conducted for admissions in the NITs in India and many
other prestigious colleges. Those who have obtained a B.E. or B.Tech.
degree in polymer engineering can take up M.Tech courses. Candidates who
have qualified in the GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) exam
will find it as an advantage for admission to the M.Tech courses in most
of the elite institutions.
The B.E/B.Tech course is of four years duration, while the M Tech / ME
program is of one and a half to two years duration. These courses cover
the properties and applications of the range of plastics and rubber materials
used in the manufacture of goods, and also the engineering aspects of
designing products and processing the materials into shaped products.
Polymer engineering involves detail study of subjects like Petrochemical
industry, Polymerization, Structure and characterization of polymers,
Properties of polymers, Compounding and processing of polymers, Description
of major polymers, their structure, property relations and applications.
Personnel 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.
