Hervanta Campus

Tampere

Core contentGroups of synthetic and natural biodegradable polymers:<ul><li>Properties, origin, polymerization and modification</li><li>Raw materials: composition and availability</li><li>Processing: available methods, limitations</li><li>Degradation: main mechanisms, tailoring the degradation profile, preventing the unintended degradation (due to processing, sterilization, storage etc.)</li><li>Characterization: common methods to monitor the degradation process</li><li>Medical and non-medical applications</li></ul>Writing summaries of given literature in a small team. Complementary knowledgeComparison of similarities and differences between<ul><li>synthetic and natural biodegradable polymers </li><li>the most commonly used synthetic polymers, and </li><li>the most commonly used natural polymers.</li></ul>Practical demonstrations of selected processing and characterization methods. Writing summaries based on given and self-found literature in a small team. Special knowledgeDeeper understanding on specialties of different biodegradable polymers with specific composition. Writing critical literature review mostly focusing on self-found literature.

Open University

The final grade of the course is determined based on accepted individual and group assignments. The weighting factor of each assignment is given at the beginning of the course. The course completion requires attendance and active participation in course meetings (lectures, workshops, demos). Check the course schedule before enrolment!

Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology

English

After completing this course, the student has an overall understanding on biodegradable polymers from polymer synthesis to final non-medical and medical applications. Student knows the general structure, properties, degradation mechanism and typical application areas of different biodegradable polymers and can utilize the knowledge to justify the use of different materials in specific applications. Student also recognizes the specialties that need to be considered while using biodegradable polymers instead of more stable materials. After this course, student understands the most common processing methods used for biodegradable polymers, and processing limitations of different materials. Student understands the sterilization process as a part of material processing and can select the most suitable sterilization technique. Student can explain the factors that affect the degradation profile and also the means to prevent unintended degradation. To get some practical perspective, student has participated laboratory demonstrations of selected processing and characterization methods. After completing this course, student has compared the specific biodegradable polymers by compiling written summaries and/or by giving short presentations in a small team by utilizing the given and self-found literature. Student has also used summaries written by others to broaden the understanding and generalize the learnings.

NOTE! A student must have basic knowledge about polymer science before coming to this course. There will be a test about the prerequisites at the beginning of the course. If the prerequisites have been completed elsewhere, contact responsible teacher before the course! Compulsory prerequisites: BBT.034 Medical Biomaterials Recommended prerequisites: KEM.310 Polymer Chemistry.

<h3>Lectures</h3><h4>Blended Learning: </h4>07.01.2026 10.00 - 07.01.2026 12.00, TAU Päärakennus PA103 opetustila (40) 08.01.2026 14.00 - 08.01.2026 16.00, TAU Festia FC112 opetustila Dare to Learn (44) 13.01.2026 10.00 - 13.01.2026 12.00, TAU Rakennustalo RO105 opetustila (40) 15.01.2026 14.00 - 15.01.2026 16.00, TAU Festia FC112 opetustila Dare to Learn (44) 20.01.2026 10.00 - 20.01.2026 12.00, TAU Rakennustalo RO105 opetustila (40) 22.01.2026 14.00 - 22.01.2026 16.00, TAU Festia FC112 opetustila Dare to Learn (44) 27.01.2026 10.00 - 27.01.2026 12.00, TAU Rakennustalo RO105 opetustila (40) 29.01.2026 14.00 - 29.01.2026 16.00, TAU Festia FC112 opetustila Dare to Learn (44) 03.02.2026 10.00 - 03.02.2026 12.00, TAU Rakennustalo RO105 opetustila (40) 05.02.2026 14.00 - 05.02.2026 16.00, TAU Festia FC112 opetustila Dare to Learn (44) 10.02.2026 10.00 - 10.02.2026 12.00, TAU Rakennustalo RO105 opetustila (40) 12.02.2026 14.00 - 12.02.2026 16.00, TAU Festia FC112 opetustila Dare to Learn (44) 17.02.2026 10.00 - 17.02.2026 12.00, TAU Rakennustalo RO105 opetustila (40) 19.02.2026 14.00 - 19.02.2026 16.00, TAU Festia FC112 opetustila Dare to Learn (44) 03.03.2026 10.00 - 03.03.2026 12.00, TAU Rakennustalo RO105 opetustila (40) 05.03.2026 12.00 - 05.03.2026 14.00, TAU Festia FC112 opetustila Dare to Learn (44) 10.03.2026 10.00 - 10.03.2026 12.00, TAU Rakennustalo RO105 opetustila (40) 12.03.2026 12.00 - 12.03.2026 14.00, TAU Festia FC112 opetustila Dare to Learn (44) 17.03.2026 10.00 - 17.03.2026 12.00, TAU Rakennustalo RO105 opetustila (40) 19.03.2026 12.00 - 19.03.2026 14.00, TAU Festia FC112 opetustila Dare to Learn (44) 24.03.2026 10.00 - 24.03.2026 12.00, TAU Rakennustalo RO105 opetustila (40) 26.03.2026 12.00 - 26.03.2026 14.00, TAU Festia FC112 opetustila Dare to Learn (44) 31.03.2026 10.00 - 31.03.2026 12.00, TAU Rakennustalo RO105 opetustila (40) 09.04.2026 12.00 - 09.04.2026 14.00, TAU Festia FC112 opetustila Dare to Learn (44) 14.04.2026 10.00 - 14.04.2026 12.00, TAU Rakennustalo RO105 opetustila (40) 16.04.2026 12.00 - 16.04.2026 14.00, TAU Festia FC112 opetustila Dare to Learn (44) 23.04.2026 12.00 - 23.04.2026 14.00, TAU Festia FC112 opetustila Dare to Learn (44)

TUNI Moodle: BBT.BTE.301-2025-2026-1 Biodegradable Polymers (Lectures)

Lectures, spring 2026

The final grade of the course is determined based on accepted individual and group assignments. The weighting factor of each assignment is given at the beginning of the course. The course completion requires attendance and active participation in course meetings (lectures, workshops, demos). Check the course schedule before enrolment!Number of seats for Open university students: 5<a href="https://www.tuni.fi/en/study-with-us/biodegradable-polymers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">More information about the course</a>.<a href="https://www.tuni.fi/en/study-with-us/open-higher-education-studies/open-university" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">More information about studying at the Open University</a>.

Contact teaching

<h5>Lectures</h5>The course completion requires attendance and active participation in course meetings (lectures, workshops, demos). Check the course schedule before enrolment! The final grade of the course is determined based on accepted individual
 and group assignments. The weighting factor of each assignment is given
 at the beginning of the course.Partial completions of the course must be
carried out during the same implementation round.

BBT.BTE.301 Biodegradable Polymers, 5 cr

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Lectures, spring 2026, 5 cr

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