This book presents the application of Polymer-Silica Based Composites in the Construction Industry providing the fundamental framework and knowledge needed for the sustainable and efficient use of these composites as building and structural materials. It also includes characterization of prepared materials to ascertain mechanical, chemical, and physical properties and analyses results obtained using similar methods. Topics such as life cycle analysis of plastics, application of plastics in construction and elimination of plastic wastes are also discussed. The book also provides information on the outlook and competitiveness of emerging composites materials. Covers theory, preparation and characterizations of polymer-silica based composites for green construction. Discusses technology, reliability, manufacturing cost and environmental impact. Reviews the classification, application, and processing of polymer-silica composites. Gives a deeper analysis on the various tests carried out on polymer-silica composite. Highlights role of such composites in the Industry 4.0 and emerging technologies. This book is aimed at graduate students and researchers in civil engineering, built environment, construction materials, and materials science.

Having a solid understanding of materials recycling is of high importance, especially due to the growing use of composites in many industries and increasingly strict legislation and concerns about the disposal of composites in landfills or by incineration. Recycling of Plastics, Metals, and Their Composites provides a comprehensive review of the recycling of waste polymers and metal composites. It provides the latest advances and covers the fundamentals of recycled polymers and metal composites, such as preparation, morphology, and physical, mechanical, thermal, and flame-retardancy properties. FEATURES Offers a state-of-the-art review of the recycling of polymer composites and metal composites for sustainability Describes a life-cycle analysis to help readers understand the true potential value and market for these recycled materials Details potential applications of recycled polymer and metal composites Includes the performance of natural fiber-reinforced recycled thermoplastic polymer composites under aging conditions and the recycling of multi-material plastics Covers recycling technologies, opportunities, and challenges for polymer-matrix composites This book targets technical professionals in the metal and polymer industries as well as researchers, scientists, and advanced students. It is also of interest to decision makers at material suppliers, recycled metal and polymer product manufacturers, and governmental agencies working with recycled metal and polymer composites.

Smart materials are the way of the future in a variety of fields, from biomedical engineering and chemistry to nanoscience, nanotechnology, and robotics. Featuring an interdisciplinary approach to smart materials and structures, this second edition of Artificial Muscles: Applications of Advanced Polymeric Nanocomposites has been fully updated to thoroughly review the latest knowledge of ionic polymeric conductor nanocomposites (IPCNCs), including ionic polymeric metal nanocomposites (IPMNCs) as biomimetic distributed nanosensors, nanoactuators, nanotransducers, nanorobots, artificial muscles, and electrically controllable intelligent polymeric network structures. Authored by one of the founding fathers of the field, the book introduces fabrication and manufacturing methods of several electrically and chemically active ionic polymeric sensors, actuators, and artificial muscles, as well as a new class of electrically active polymeric nanocomposites and artificial muscles. It also describes a few apparatuses for modeling and testing various artificial muscles to show the viability of chemoactive and electroactive muscles. It presents the theories, modeling, and numerical simulations of ionic polymeric artificial muscles' electrodynamics and chemodynamics and features current industrial and medical applications of IPMNCs. By covering the fabrication techniques of and novel developments in advanced polymeric nanocomposites, this second edition continues to provides an accessible yet solid foundation to the subject while stimulating further research. Key features: Fully up to date with the latest cutting-edge discoveries in the field Authored by a world expert in the subject area Explores the exciting and growing topic of smart materials in medicine Mohsen Shahinpoor is Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maine and a leading expert in artificial muscles.

Describes preparation, characterization, and applications of pH responsive membranes in biomedical applications. Introduces the theoretical understanding of the pH responsiveness. Covers advancement of techniques regarding pH responsive membranes. Provide insights for the development of new materials and membranes. Discusses advancements in drug delivery, haemodialysis, antibodies and enzyme production, chemical sensing and selective ionic transport using pH responsive membranes.

Polymer science is a technology-driven science. More often than not, technological breakthroughs opened the gates to rapid fundamental and theoretical advances, dramatically broadening the understanding of experimental observations, and expanding the science itself. Some of the breakthroughs involved the creation of new materials. Among these one may enumerate the vulcanization of natural rubber, the derivatization of cellulose, the giant advances right before and during World War II in the preparation and characterization of synthetic elastomers and semi crystalline polymers such as polyesters and polyamides, the subsequent creation of aromatic high-temperature resistant amorphous and semi-crystal line polymers, and the more recent development of liquid-crystalline polymers mostly with n~in-chain mesogenicity. other breakthroughs involve the development of powerful characterization techniques. Among the recent ones, the photon correlation spectroscopy owes its success to the advent of laser technology, small angle neutron scattering evolved from n~clear reactors technology, and modern solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy exists because of advances in superconductivity. The growing need for high modulus, high-temperature resistant polymers is opening at present a new technology, that of more or less rigid networks. The use of such networks is rapidly growing in applications where they are used as such or where they serve as matrices for fibers or other load bearing elements. The rigid networks are largely aromatic. Many of them are prepared from multifunctional wholly or almost-wholly aromatic kernels, while others contain large amount of stiff difunctional residus leading to the presence of many main-chain "liquid-crystalline" segments in the "infinite" network.

This book details the use of conducting polymers and their composites in supercapacitors, batteries, photovoltaics, and fuel cells, nearly covering the entire spectrum of energy area under one title. Conducting Polymers for Advanced Energy Applications covers a range of advanced materials based on conducting polymers, the fundamentals, and the chemistry behind these materials for energy applications. FEATURES Covers materials, chemistry, various synthesis approaches, and the properties of conducting polymers and their composites Discusses commercialization and markets and elaborates on advanced applications Presents an overview and the advantages of using conducting polymers and their composites for advanced energy applications Describes a variety of nanocomposites, including metal oxides, chalcogenides, graphene, and materials beyond graphene Offers the fundamentals of electrochemical behavior This book provides a new direction for scientists, researchers, and students in materials science and polymer chemistry who seek to better understand the chemistry behind conducting polymers and improve their performance for use in advanced energy applications.

Chitin is one of the most important biopolymers, synthesized by an enormous number of living organisms and is a promising bioactive polymer for food packaging applications due to its functional properties. This book focuses on composition, properties, characterization, and theoretical approach of chitin and chitosan bio-composites. It describes the most recent studies concerning chitin and chitosan-based films and gives an overview about future trends regarding the industrial applications of chitin and chitosan for food packaging purposes. This book is especially useful for researchers in the fields of bionanocomposites, especially those with an interest in packaging applications.

The proposed book focusses on the theme of failure of polymer composites, focusing on vital aspects of enhancing failure resistance, constituents and repair including associated complexities. It discusses characterization and experimentation of the composites under loading with respect to the specific environment and applications. Further, it includes topics as green composites, advanced materials and composite joint failure, buckling failure, and fiber-metal composite failure. It explains preparation, applications of composites for weight sensitive applications, leading to potential applications and formulations, fabrication of polymer products based on bio-resources. Provides exhaustive understanding of failure and fatigue of polymer composites Covers the failure of fiber reinforced polymer composites, composite joint failure, fiber-metal composite, and laminate failure Discusses how to enhance the resistance against failure of the polymer composites Provides input to industry related and academic orientated research problems Represents an organized perspective and analysis of materials processing, material design, and their failure under loading This book is aimed at researchers, graduate students in composites, fiber reinforcement, failure mechanism, materials science, and mechanical engineering.

The book has five chapters, each containing invaluable information for PVC manufacturers, processors, and users. In the first introductory chapter, the new product development and product reengineering tools and market for PVC products are discussed. In the second chapter, polymer properties determining its proper selection are discussed. Commercial types and grades, polymer forms, and physical-chemical properties of PVC are discussed in detail. All essential information required for the decision-making process is presented in a clear form in order to provide the reader with the necessary data. The third chapter contains information aiding in the selection of any required additives. Twenty-four groups of additives are used in PVC processing to improve its properties and obtain the set of product characteristics required by the end-user. Similar to the previous chapter, the information is concise but contains much-needed data to aid the reader in product development and reformulation. The fourth chapter contains about 600 formulations of products belonging to 23 categories derived from characteristic methods of production. Formulations come from patents, publications in journals, and from suggestions of raw material suppliers. A broad selection of formulations is used in each category to determine the essential components of formulations used in a particular method of processing, the most important parameters of successful products, troubleshooting information, and suggestions of further sources of information on the method of processing. This part results from a review of thousands of patents, over two thousands of research papers, and information available from manufacturers of polymers and additives. The final chapter contains data on PVC and its products. The data are assigned to one of the following sections: general data and nomenclature, chemical composition and properties, physical properties, mechanical properties, health and safety, environmental information, use and application information. The data are based on information contained in over 1450 research papers and it presents the most comprehensive set of data on PVC ever assembled. The concept of this and a companion book (PVC Degradation & Stabilization, new edition will be published in 2015) is to provide the reader with complete information and data required to formulate successful and durable products or to evaluate formulations on the background of compositions used by others. For scientists and students, these two books give a complete set of the most up-to-date information, state-of-the-art, and data required for the development of new ideas and learning from a comprehensive review contributed by the author of 5 books on PVC written in the last 30 years.

A practical introduction to one of today's most exciting and rapidly growing areas of polymer science.

Introduction to Ionomers affords chemists, engineers, and graduate students an opportunity to familiarize themselves quickly and thoroughly with one of today's most commercially important classes of polymers. Featuring a balanced, fully integrated presentation of basic science and state-of-the-art applications, the book provides the depth of knowledge researchers need to make optimal use of established ionomeric processes or to develop new systems of their own.

The book's primary conceptual thrust is the relationship between polymeric architecture and polymeric morphology and properties when affected by ionic groups. While it provides in-depth coverage of all common classes of ionomeric materials—including polystyrenes, polyethylenes, polyurethanes, and polyacrylics—non-crystalline materials are emphasized over partly-crystalline materials. Co-author Adi Eisenberg, a leading ionomer pioneer and innovator, provides a uniquely intimate historical perspective on the field as it has developed over the past three decades.

Newcomers to ionomers will appreciate the authors' clear and methodical presentations of difficult concepts, designed to promote rapid mastery of the core principles involved. The product of an exhaustive survey of the huge and rapidly growing world literature on the subject, Introduction to Ionomers is also an excellent resource for experienced professionals attempting to stay abreast of important recent developments in the field.

Semiconducting polymers are of great interest for applications in electroluminescent devices, solar cells, batteries, and diodes. This volume provides a thorough introduction to the basic concepts of the photophysics of semiconducting polymers as well as a description of the principal polymerization methods for luminescent polymers. Divided into two main sections, the book first introduces the advances made in polymer synthesis and then goes on to focus on the photophysics aspects, also exploring how new advances in the area of controlled syntheses of semiconducting polymers are applied. An understanding of the photophysics process in this kind of material requires some knowledge of many different terms in this field, so a chapter on the basic concepts is included. The process that occurs in semiconducting polymers spans time scales that are unimaginably fast, sometimes less than a picosecond. To appreciate this extraordinary scale, it is necessary to learn a range of vocabularies and concepts that stretch from the basic concepts of photophysics to modern applications, such as electroluminescent devices, solar cells, batteries, and diodes. This book provides a starting point for a broadly based understanding of photophysics concepts applied in understanding semiconducting polymers, incorporating critical ideas from across the scientific spectrum.

Explores the nature of relaxation phenomena in polymers on the basis of time-temperature equivalence. Its role in the physical and mechanical behavior of polymers materials and fundamentals of thermoplastics processing are discussed. Four appendixes detail thermo-mechanical methods to study relaxation in polymers, structure of both amorphous and semi-crystalline polymers, and unified approach to describe deformation of polymeric materials.

Conducting polymers are organic polymers which contain conjugation along the polymer backbone that conduct electricity. Conducting polymers are promising materials for energy storage applications because of their fast charge-discharge kinetics, high charge density, fast redox reaction, low-cost, ease of synthesis, tunable morphology, high power capability and excellent intrinsic conductivity compared with inorganic-based materials. Conducting Polymers-Based Energy Storage Materials surveys recent advances in conducting polymers and their composites addressing the execution of these materials as electrodes in electrochemical power sources. Key Features: Provides an overview on the conducting polymer material properties, fundamentals and their role in energy storage applications. Deliberates cutting-edge energy storage technology based on synthetic metals (conducting polymers) Covers current applications in next-generation energy storage devices. Explores the new aspects of conducting polymers with processing, tunable properties, nanostructures and engineering strategies of conducting polymers for energy storage. Presents up-to-date coverage of a large, rapidly growing and complex conducting polymer literature on all-types electrochemical power sources. This book is an invaluable guide for students, professors, scientists, and R&D industrial specialists working in the field of advanced science, nanodevices, flexible electronics, and energy science.

Covering fundamentals through applications, this book discusses environmentally friendly polymer nanocomposites and alternatives to traditional nanocomposites through detailed reviews of a variety of materials procured from different resources, their synthesis, and applications using alternative green approaches. The text: Describes green polymeric nanocomposites that show greater properties in terms of degradability, biocompatibility, synthesis process, cost effectiveness, mechanical strength, high surface area, nontoxicity, and environmental friendliness Explains the basics of eco-friendly polymer nanocomposites from different natural resources and their chemistry Discusses practical applications that present future directions in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, and automotive industries This book is aimed at scientists, researchers, and academics working in nanotechnology, biomaterials, polymer science, and those studying products derived from eco-friendly nanomaterials.

This title gives an overview of composites and biocomposites. It discusses the history of CaPO4/ /polymer biocomposites and hybrid biomaterials, as well as analyzing the latest developments in the field. It also covers bioactivity and biodegradation of CaPO4-based biomaterials.

This book provides a definitive source of information on the chemical reaction engineering aspects of polymer production processes. Recent reviews in the USA by the Chemical Society and the Institute of Chemical Engineers have concluded that polymers will continue to grow in importance as they are tailored to suit specific applications. This book focuses on engineering aspects of reactor design and operation and, in particular, how the properties of polymers are determined by the relationships between chemical kinetics and mechanical design. This book should be of interest to chemical engineers who need to understand reaction engineering concepts and techniques for polymer systems as well as advanced students of polymer science and engineering, materials science and chemistry.

This specialist monograph provides an overview of the recent research on the fundamental and applied properties of nanoparticles extracted from cellulose, the most abundant polymer on the planet and an ubiquitous essential renewable resource. Given the rapid advances in the field and the high level of interest within the scientific and industrial communities, this revised and updated second edition expands the broad overview of recent research and will be required reading for all those working with nanocellulose in the life sciences and bio-based applications, biological, chemical and agricultural engineering, organic chemistry and materials science. It combines a general introduction to cellulose and basic techniques with more advanced chapters on specific properties, applications and current scientific developments of nanocellulose. The book profits from the author's extensive knowledge of cellulose nanocomposite materials.

Biopolymers are attracting immense attention of late because of their diverse applications that can address growing environmental concerns and energy demands. The development of various biomaterials creates significant advancements in the medical field as well, and many biopolymers are used for the fabrication of biomaterials. Together, biopolymers and biomaterials create great potential for new materials, applications, and uses. This new volume, Biopolymers and Biomaterials, covers the science and application of biopolymers and biomaterials. It presents an array of different studies on biopolymers and biomaterials, along with their results, interpretation, and the conclusions arrived at through investigations. It includes biopolymer synthesis, their characterizations, and their potential applications. The book begins with an explanation of the different biopolymers used in the textile industry, their advantages and disadvantages, and their applications.

This informative volume discusses recent advancements in the research and development in synthesis, characterization, processing, morphology, structure, and properties of advanced polymeric materials. With contributions from leading international researchers and professors in academic, government and industrial institutions, Advanced Polymeric Materials for Sustainability and Innovations has a special focus on eco-friendly polymers, polymer composites, nanocomposites, and blends and materials for traditional and renewable energy. In this book the relationship between processing-morphology-property applications of polymeric materials is well established. Recent advances in the synthesis of new functional monomers has shown strong potential in generating better property polymers from renewable resources. Fundamental advances in the field of nanocomposite blends and nanostructured polymeric materials in automotive, civil, biomedical and packaging/coating applications are the highlights of this book.

Technical and technological development demands the creation of new materials that are stronger, more reliable, and more durable-materials with new properties. This book skillfully blends and integrates polymer science, plastic technology, and rubber technology to highlight new developments and trends in advanced polyblends. The fundamentals of polymerization, polymer characteristics, rheology and morphology, as well as composition, technology, testing and evaluation of various plastics, rubbers, fibers, adhesives, coatings, and composites are comprehensively presented in this informative volume. The book presents the developments of advanced polyblends and the respective tools to characterize and predict the material properties and behavior. It provides important original and theoretical experimental results that use non-routine methodologies often unfamiliar to many readers. Furthermore chapters on novel applications of more familiar experimental techniques and analyses of composite problems are included, which indicate the need for the new experimental approaches that are presented. This new book: * Provides an up-to-date and thorough exposition of the present state of the art of polyblends and composites * Familiarizes the reader with new aspects of the techniques used in the examination of polymers, emphasizing plastic technology and rubber technology * Describes the types of techniques now available to the polymer chemist and technician and discusses their capabilities, limitations, and applications * Provides a balance between materials science and the mechanics aspects, basic and applied research, and high-technology and high-volume (low-cost) composite development Entrepreneurs and professionals engaged in production of as well as research and development in polymers will find the information presented here valuable and informative.

This book provides a broad overview of current studies in the engineering of polymers and chemicals of various origins. The innovative chapters cover the growth of educational, scientific, and industrial research activities among chemists, biologists, and polymer and chemical engineers. This book publishes significant research and reviews reporting new methodologies and important applications in the fields of industrial chemistry, industrial polymers, and biotechnology, as well the latest coverage of chemical databases and the development of new computational methods and efficient algorithms for chemical software and polymer engineering.

Polymer-based smart materials have become attractive in recent years due to the fact that polymers are flexible and provide many advantages compared to inorganic smart materials: they are low cost, they are easy to process, and they exhibit good performance at nano- and microscale levels. This volume focuses on a different class of polymers that are used as smart materials in the areas of biotechnology, medicine, and engineering. The volume aims to answer these questions: How do we distinguish 'smart materials'? and How do they work? The chapters lay the groundwork for assimilation and exploitation of this technological advancement. Four of the key aspects of the approach that the authors have developed throughout this book are highlighted, namely the multidisciplinary exchange of knowledge, exploration of the relationships between multiple scales and their different behaviors, understanding that material properties are dictated at the smallest scale, and, therefore, the recognition that macroscale behavior can be controlled by nanoscale design.

This book deals with the polymers, different methods of synthesis, and synthesis of composites, as well as the different techniques used for polymer characterization. Most of the world's industries extract the anomalous properties of polymers to make excellent cost-effective materials. Because of this, the types of polymers, their processing, and the analysis of their various properties are very significant. Readers will gain a thorough knowledge about the processing of different types of polymers and composites made from them, as well as their various applications. Suitable for classroom use but especially important for researchers, this book addresses: Adhesion of amorphous polymers with vitrified bulk and surface glass transition Functionalized biopolymers and their applications A new synthesis of p-Cresol-Adipamide-Formaldehyde copolymer resin and its applications as an ion-changer Correlating performance of commercial viscosity modifiers for formulating shear stable industrial lubricants Synthesis of phthalonitrile polymers in ionic liquid and microwave media Studies on nanocomposite polymer electrolytes doped with Ca3(PO4)2 for lithium batteries

This book provides an abundance of information about the science and application of nanoparticles in the creation of nanocomposite materials, covering the synthesis, properties, and applications of nanomaterials. Written by experts in their fields, the chapters provide important updates on a number of aspects of nanomaterials and their practical applications to create new materials, particularly polymer composite materials. The book is an outgrowth of notes the authors have compiled and used to teach advanced courses on polymers for many years. Useful for engineers and researchers, the book also functions as a highly practical and useful ancillary text for advanced-level students studying nanomaterials and polymer science.