Polymer Solutions Event
For more information regarding this event, please telephone Mathematics and Science Learning Centre on 023 8059 8810 or email mslc@soton.ac.uk .
Event details
This free professional development day (plus supply cover of £200 for all participating teachers), funded by The Horners’ Company Educational Trust and ExxonMobil, will be held on-site at the ExxonMobil Fawley refining and petrochemical complex, Southampton, and complements the Polymer Study Tour programme for 2014.
This professional development day, generously funded by The Horners’ Company Educational Trust and ExxonMobil, will be held on-site at the ExxonMobil Fawley refining and petrochemical complex, Southampton. Exxon Mobil Corporation is the world's leading publicly-owned energy company and it, or its affiliated companies, operates facilities or markets products in most of the world's countries. It is the parent company of the Esso, Mobil and ExxonMobil companies that operate in the United Kingdom. The company manufactures the polymer product halobutyl rubber at Fawley and we will use this as the context for teaching about polymers. Halobutyl rubber's most important property is its impermeability to air and water and it is therefore in great demand worldwide for use in products such as tyre linings. Teachers attending this course will learn about polymers and tour the facilities as part of learning about the wide range of careers in the polymer industry.
Programme
| 8.30 | Meet at the Waterside Sports and Social Club, Fawley, safety & security brief, coach to the training facility |
| 9:30 | Introduction and objectives to the day |
| 9:45 | Workshop sessions (two one hour sessions) |
| Polymers and halo butyl rubber | |
| “Hands-on” practical workshop exploring activities that can be taken back to the classroom | |
| 12:00 | The polymer manufacturing process |
| Roles and careers in the refinery | |
| STEM Ambassador network session – exploring career routes | |
| 13.15 | Lunch |
| 14.00 | Tour of the polymer finishing facility |
| Tour of the control room and analytical lab | |
| Coach tour of site and transport off-site | |
| 16.30 | Plenary and evaluation at the Waterside Sports and Social Club |
| 17.00 | End of the day |
Cost: Thanks to generous funding by The Horners’ Company Educational Trust and ExxonMobil and the SLC impact award, the course is free to attend and supply cover of £200 will be available to all participating teachers.
Suitable for KS3 and KS4 teachers, subject leaders and others with responsibility for teaching chemistry and for promoting careers
Outcomes
- improve your knowledge and experience of polymers, their production and their uses
- explore exciting practical work that will engage students in the classroom
- explore how to promote careers in polymer science
- learn about other opportunities to explore polymers e.g. the Polymer Study Tours
- explore research from University of Southampton that can be used as stimulus materials in lessons
The course is free to attend - includes all course materials, lunch and refreshments. You will also receive free resources including a polymer pack and ‘The Essential Chemical Industry Research’ textbook.
To book a place, please contact the Mathematics and Science Learning Centre using the contact details below and give your name, job title, school or college, email address and any accessibility or dietary requirements.
“I refer a lot to how Fawley utilise the chemicals from the refinery and how these are applied in polymers. I relooked at the polymers testing practical and also made sure students got to see more examples of uses for polymers other than everyday examples.” “I had a lot more background facts about the history and development of polymers to use with year 12. Used it in an OFSTED observed lesson.” “I have used the Fawley apprenticeship scheme to discuss routes in to science careers. I used several resources to help plan group tasks based around recycling and environmental aspects.”