The Key Centre for Polymers & Colloids (KCPC) is an international centre of excellence for research and training, with about 30 Australian and international researchers and research students. It has world-class facilities for the study of Soft Matter, and hosts international experts in polymers, colloids and surface chemistry.

The Key Centre has an extensive networks of collaborators, both in industry and in academia. It provides research support for a range of Australian and international primary and secondary industries.

The Centre was established under the Australian Research Council's Research Centres Program. Additional support has been given by University of Sydney and various corporate sponsors.

What does the Centre do?

1. •Research in all aspects of polymers and colloids and related fields in collaboration with other research organisations
   

2. •Supervise graduate studies (PhD, MSc) for students from Australia and any other country
   

3. •Develop educational source materials for introductory chemistry courses
   

4. •Consulting and contract research with industry
   

Our research projects involve pure and applied aspects of polymer science, colloids, and surface chemistry, in both natural and synthetic systems.

The training program includes both Short Courses and higher degree (graduate research) qualifications, and short- and long-term visits. The rational design made possible by research and training is opening the way to make novel, better and more environmentally-friendly industrial products.

The Centre has developed extensive material covering polymers and polymer colloids, their uses at home and in industry, to assist high-school chemistry students (the topics are especially relevant to the syllabus in NSW, Australia).