Laboratory of Polymers & Biomaterials

Like every year in September, Polymer Physics Laboratory members took part in Science Festival. This year three topics have been presented:
1.    Small is beautiful - the thing about polymer crystal
2.    The invisible world – to see by scanning electron microscope’s eye
3.    Regeneration of the knee using 3D polymer structures.
Children who visted our laboratory attend to both, lectures and laboratory shows. They had opportunity to observe crystal structures of polymers. Moreover, to present them possibilities which give scanning electron microscope, our team prepared for them various  biological preparations and some nanofibres produced in our laboratory. Finally, electrospinning process has been presented. The electrospinning process has been show from solution preparation to fiber formation. Aslo short information about our activity during Science Festival you can find on the Gimnazjum 96 website (Gimnazjum 96 in Warsaw), students of which visited us than.

This year during Science Festival we had a pleasure to invite to our laboratory extremely large group of students from various primary schools and gymnasiums from Warsaw and surrounding area. Around 80 students with they teacher attended to lectures and laboratory tours. This year four topics have been presented: Small is beautiful - the thing about polymercrystal, The invisible world – t o see by scanning electron microscope’s eye, Regeneration of the knee using 3D polymer structures and How much heat it is needed to melt chocolate?. 

Prof. Paweł Sajkiewicz carefully explained ,,young scientists'' what is the difference between crystal and amorphous materials and what properties are related with polymer structure. Moreover, students could observecrystal structures of polymers by themself. Judyta Dulnik presented possibilities which gives us scanning electron microscope. For this purpose, our team prepared for them various biological preparations and some nanofibres produced in our laboratory. Finally, Dr Dorota Kołbuk and Dr Tomasz Kowalczyk presented electrospinning process and explained potential application of fibers mat. The electrospinning process has been show from solution preparation to fiber formation. How much heat it is needed to melt chocolate? leacture and laboratory show has focused great interest as well. This leacture has been prepared by prof. Paweł Sajkiewicz, Dr Arkadiusz Gradys and Olga Urbanek. On this leacture students try to answer various important questions eg.: what influace on melting temperature of materials? what exactly is melted in chocolate? does all chocolates melt in the same temperature? how we can measure ammount of heat need to melt chocolate?

We are very happy that we could meet soo many great young people! We hope meet you next years!

Days of Science in Polymer Physics Laboratory

25th of September we had a pleasure to give lectures and organise lab tour for high school students. 

In the last week of September 2014, the Institute of Fundamental Technological Research organized numerous lectures and lab tours as part of Warsaw Science Days. Workers from various laboratory shared their knowledge on topics such as: the use of nano-technology, surface engineering and smart materials. Members of our laboratory presented topics related to regenerative medicine and the structure of polymeric materials. On 23rd September Dr. Tomasz Kowalczyk gave a lecture entitled ,, Does nanotechnology can change the world? Nanomaterials as a future of regenerative medicine and drug delivery systems'. 25th September prof. Łukasz Sajkiewicz and Dr. Arkadiusz Gradys led lecture ,, Small and beautiful- polymer crystals'. Students had the opportunity to observe the crystalline structure of polymers using polarizing- interference microscopes. They also learned how the properties of material affects its structur. They were acquainted with the methods of analysis such as differental scanning calorimetry (DSC). Finaly Dr Dorota Kołbuk led lecture entitled ,,Super Strength in nanoscale''. After the lecture, students had the opportunity to see a static strength test of the of polymer non-woven. After the lecture, the students were acquainted with our chemical laboratory in which the nanofibers are made. M.Sc Olga Urbanek and M.Sc Piotr Denis said few words about electrospinning and show how process is going on.  

We hope that we lectures were a nice break from the school routine and fun way to learn! We invite you next year! :D