Studies in Polymer Science Series

Macromolecular materials possess some remarkable features arising from the fact that their molecules are made up of more or less flexible chains which can have various conformations. The study of molecular conformations and dynamics of macromolecules is important in polymer science and technology from both basic and practical viewpoints. In practice, these studies have concentrated on dilute solutions but more recently there has been a clear trend towards studying molecular properties in condensed systems in order to understand the entire macromolecular system based on a unified concept. Based on lectures presented by an internationally recognized group of polymer scientists at a meeting held in Japan in October 1987 (plus two additional contributions), this volume summarises present knowledge of molecular conformations and dynamics of macromolecules from dilute solutions to various condensed systems. The book is not a random collection of papers of the usual conference proceedings type. Authors prepared their contributions in line with an overall plan for the work, were able to discuss the content with colleagues at the meeting, and finalised their text after the conference. It is thus a comprehensive, integrated overview of the field. Current developments in both theory and experiment are discussed in a well-balanced way. The behaviour of macromolecules at phase transition and interface is discussed in relation to their behaviour in bulk systems. The book offers a particularly up-to-date and authoritative picture of the current state of the art, and will be of interest to all research and professional workers concerned with polymer science in universities, industry, and government institutions.

This book presents direct and inverse gas chromatography as a powerful tool for determining a great number of thermodynamic properties and quantities for micro- and especially for macromolecular substances. In order to ensure the continuity and clarity of the presentation, the book first considers some frequently used concepts of chromatography with a mobile gas phase, i.e. the mechanism of separation, retention parameters and the theories of gas chromatography. The employment of this technique as an important method of studying solutions through the most representative statistical models is also discussed. The thermodynamics of direct gas chromatography, as applied to dissolution, adsorption and vaporization underlies the thermodynamic treatment of inverse gas chromatography. The most extensive chapter of the book is devoted to the thermodynamics of inverse gas chromatography and deals with a number of important topics: phase transitions in crystalline-amorphous polymers and liquid crystals, glass transitions, other second order transitions in polymers, the determination of diffusion coefficients, the segregation of block copolymers and other applications. This book is intended for those specialists in research and industry who are concerned with the modification and characterization of polymers, with establishing polymer applications, and with the processing of polymers. It will also be useful to students and specialists interested in the physico-chemical basis of the phenomena involved in gas chromatography in general and its inverse variant in particular.

Presented here in detail is a number of generally accepted, standardised inflammability tests. A comprehensive survey of ISO, IEC, ASTN, VL, BS and DIN is given and other standards are also mentioned. The testing of materials, products and full-scale model-testing are described. Furthermore, the book describes methods for reducing the inflammability of plastics, various techniques for fires involving plastics and fire regulations.

Remarkable progress has been made in the last two decades in the study of concentrated polymer solutions leading to many new concepts, theories, and techniques in the field of polymer science. Any description of the theory of polymer solutions is now insufficient unless both concentrated and dilute solutions are given equal attention. This book reviews recent developments in the study of dilute and concentrated polymer solutions, emphasizing mainly the typical equilibrium and steady-state dynamic properties of linear homopolymers. The author strives to clarify the gap which still remains open between current theories and well-documented experimental results, thereby stimulating further efforts toward a more accurate understanding of polymer solutions. The book contains a collection of typical experimental data and their comparison with current theories, molecular or phenomenological, a summary of recent advances in the physics of concentrated polymer solutions and melts, and an elementary account of the renormalization group theory as applied to dilute solutions. Polymer Solutions should prove invaluable as a reference work for graduate students and specialists in this field.

In recent years, there has been a veritable explosion of research and development in consumer-oriented fields that utilize polymeric materials which absorb large amounts of water. These fields encompass the preparation, characterization and commercialization of separation systems, pharmaceutical and personal care products such as infant diapers, feminine products, incontinence products and many other related areas. The polymeric materials utilized in these applications are known as absorbent or superabsorbent materials because of their ability to swell rapidly and to retain large volumes of water, urine and other biological fluids. The aim of this book is to introduce the fundamentals of polymer structure and swelling as related to polymers used for these superabsorbent materials. In the field of absorbence, particular attention is given to crosslinked structures which swell to more than fifty times their initial weight in water or electrolytic solutions. The book also provides descriptions of novel applications of superabsorbent materials as well as a detailed analysis of water transport in crosslinked polymers. Absorbent Polymer Technology should be of interest to chemists, polymer scientists, chemical engineers, and industrial scientists working with swellable polymeric systems in personal care, pharmaceutical, agricultural waste treatment and separation industries.

The behaviour of polymers in multi-component and multiphase systems such as solutions, blends and interfaces derived from both natural and synthetic sources and the subsequent influence of this on their physical properties is the theme of this book. Important new material on multiphase polymer systems such as block copolymers and liquid crystalline polymers is provided, and the solution and surface properties of enzymes and surface active polymers is described both theoretically and experimentally. The application of theory to the development of new cellulosic materials is particularly noteworthy. The relationship between end-use properties, such as adhesion, wetting, and colloidal stability, and molecular structure at the interface is addressed. Examples include the capillary pressure of nylon microporous membranes, a new technique for characterizing the adhesion between incompatible polymers, and the influence of the glass transition temperature at the fiber/matrix interface on interfacial shear strength. Characterization of polymer films, both electrochemically and via optical techniques is covered and the interactions of amphiphilic ions with polyacrylate polymer are described. The final two chapters introduce the topic of enzyme mobility at an interface and show how this may affect their role as biological catalysts.

This book discusses the process theories and automation levels of the most important polymer processes which are necessary to achieve product quality and process economy. The book describes mixing, calendering, screw plastications, sheet and tube extrusion, film blowing, blow moulding and injection moulding. The control methods employed for each of these individual processes are presented in detail. The book is designed to provide information on static and dynamic processes and viable control systems.

The problems related to crazing in polymers are of special interest to polymer scientists since only polymers display this universal phenomenon and no analogues are available for low-molecular-mass compounds. The important problems of solvent crazing and the development of a universal description of polymer structure and properties have received much attention from many leading scientists. Nevertheless, some aspects of polymer crazing are still unclear, and scientific activities in this area are in progress. This work provides an up-to-date account of scientific advances in the area of solvent crazing. The principal features and stages of solvent crazing (craze nucleation, craze tip advance, craze thickening, and craze collapse at high strains) are described. Additionally, the authors present information concerning the activities of Russian scientists in this area, which might have escaped the attention of their colleagues because of the language barrier.