Service Life Prediction of Polymers and Coatings: Enhanced Methods focuses on the cutting-edge science behind how plastic and polymer materials are modified by the effects of weathering, offering the latest advances in service life prediction methods. The chapters have been developed by experts based on their contributions as part of the 7th Service Life Prediction Meeting. The volume begins with the premise that it is possible to produce and design life predictions, also looking at how these predictions can be used. Subsequent chapters present new developments in service life prediction, examining the most important considerations in SLP design, timescales, and other major issues. The book also considers the current state of the field in terms of both accomplishments and areas that require significant research going forward. This is a highly valuable reference for engineers, designers, technicians, scientists and R&D professionals who are looking to develop materials, components or products for outdoor applications across a range of industries. The book also supports academic researchers, scientists and advanced students with an interest in service life, the effects of weathering, material degradation, failure analysis, or sustainability across the fields of plastics engineering, polymer science and materials science.

1 V.O. Aseyev, H. Tenhu, F. Winnik: Temperature Dependence of the Colloidal Stability of Neutral Amphiphilic Polymers in Water.- 2 V.I. Lozinsky: Approaches to Chemical Synthesis of Protein-Like Copolymers.- 3 S.I. Kuchanov, A.R. Khokhlov: Role of Physical Factors in the Processes of Obtaining of Copolymers.- 4 A.Y. Grosberg, A.R. Khokhlov: "After-Action" of the Ideas of O.M. Lifshitz in Polymer and Biopolymer Physics.-

This book introduces the physics and chemistry of plastic scintillators (fluorescent polymers) that are able to emit light when exposed to ionizing radiation, discussing their chemical modification in the early 1950s and 1960s, as well as the renewed upsurge in interest in the 21st century. The book presents contributions from various researchers on broad aspects of plastic scintillators, from physics, chemistry, materials science and applications, covering topics such as the chemical nature of the polymer and/or the fluorophores, modification of the photophysical properties (decay time, emission wavelength) and loading of additives to make the material more sensitive to, e.g., fast neutrons, thermal neutrons or gamma rays. It also describes the benefits of recent technological advances for plastic scintillators, such as nanomaterials and quantum dots, which allow features that were previously not achievable with regular organic molecules or organometallics.

-Polyelectrolyte Stars and Cylindrical Brushes By Y. Xu, F. Plamper, M. Ballauff, and A. H. E. Muller -Various Aspects of the Interfacial Self-Assembly of Nanoparticles By N. Popp, S. Kutuzov, A. Boker -Holographic Gratings and Data Storage in Azobenzene-Containing Block Copolymers and Molecular Glasses By H. Audorff, K. Kreger, R. Walker, D. Haarer, L. Kador, and H.-W. Schmidt -Donor-Acceptor Block Copolymers with Nanoscale Morphology for Photovoltaic Applications By M. Sommer, S. Huettner, and M. Thelakkat -Recent Advances in the Improvement of Polymer Electret Films By D. P. Erhard, D. Lovera, C. von Salis-Soglio, R. Giesa, V. Altstadt, and H.-W. Schmidt

Advances in Polymer Science enjoys a longstanding tradition and good reputation in its community. Each volume is dedicated to a current topic, and each review critically surveys one aspect of that topic, to place it within the context of the volume. The volumes typically summarize the significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years and discuss them critically, presenting selected examples, explaining and illustrating the important principles, and bringing together many important references of primary literature. On that basis, future research directions in the area can be discussed. Advances in Polymer Science volumes thus are important references for every polymer scientist, as well as for other scientists interested in polymer science - as an introduction to a neighboring field, or as a compilation of detailed information for the specialist.

In August, 1996, the ACS Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering hosted a symposium on Interfacial Aspects of Multicomponent Polymer Materials at the Orlando, Florida, American Chemical Society meeting. Over 50 papers and posters were presented. The symposium proper was preceded by a one-day workshop, where the. basics of this relatively new field were developed. This edited book is a direct outcome of the symposium and workshop. Every object in the universe has surfaces and interfaces. A surface is defined as that part of a material in contact with either a gas or a vacuum. An interface is defined as that part of a material in contact with a condensed phase, be it liquid or solid. Surfaces of any substance are different from their interior. The appearance of surface or interfacial tension is one simple manifestation. Polymer blends and composites usually contain very finely divided phases, which are literally full of interfaces. Because interfaces are frequently weak mechanically, they pose special problems in the manufacture of strong, tough plastics, adhesives, elastomers, coatings, and fibers. This book provides a series of papers addressing this issue. Some papers delineate the nature of the interface both chemically and physically. The use of newer instrumental methods and new theories are described. Concepts of interdiffusion and entanglement are developed. Other papers describe state-of-the-art approaches to improving the interface, via graft and block copolymers, direct covalent bonding, hydrogen bonding, and more.

This volume serves as a cutting edge reference on XLPE based blends, nanocomposites, and their applications. The book provides an introduction to XLPE nanocomposites and discusses the incorporation of natural and inorganic nanoparticles in the XLPE matrix. It also focuses on its characterization as well as the morphological, rheological, mechanical, viscoelastic, thermal, and electrical, properties. It provides an in-depth review of various potential applications, with special emphasis on use in cable insulation. The book focuses on cutting edge research developments, looking at published papers, patents, and production data. This book will be of use to academic and industry researchers, as well as graduate students working in the fields of polymer science and engineering, materials science, and chemical engineering.

A primer for students and researchers, now completely revised and updated

Giant molecules are the fundamental building blocks of our entire world, providing the structural bases for our bodies (genes, proteins, nucleic acids), our food (complex carbohydrates, starches), our homes (wood, concrete), and our environments (plants, clothing, biomaterial, paper, etc.). Equal parts technical guide for the practitioner and college text, Giant Molecules, Second Edition delivers a fascinating primer on these ubiquitous materials.

The book begins with essential, conceptual basics, assuming no prior scientific knowledge whatsoever, then moves swiftly to apply these fundamentals to real-world materials. The majority of the text addresses material concepts and their various applications. A pictorial approach is employed throughout. The author uses sweeping, striking drawings, pictures, and figures to explain why particular giant molecules behave the way they do, and why some, for example, are suitable to the human genome while others are used to construct bulletproof vests. Each chapter contains a glossary, bibliography, and questions and answers for the reader’s reference. Chapters include:

• Thermoplastics
• Fibers
• Rubbers (Elastomers)
• Paints, Coatings, Sealants, and Adhesives
• The Plant Kingdom
• The Animal Kingdom
• The Future of Giant Molecules

The author also includes a selection of helpful Web sites in each chapter for additional reference. Giant Molecules remains an unparalleled resource for researchers and students concerned with scientific fundamentals.

Drawing a picture of the current situation of this new field, this volume both summarizes the past achievements and analyzes the present unsolved problems.

This companion volume to "Fundamental Polymer Science" (Gedde and Hedenqvist, 2019) offers detailed insights from leading practitioners into experimental methods, simulation and modelling, mechanical and transport properties, processing, and sustainability issues. Separate chapters are devoted to thermal analysis, microscopy, spectroscopy, scattering methods, and chromatography. Special problems and pitfalls related to the study of polymers are addressed. Careful editing for consistency and cross-referencing among the chapters, high-quality graphics, worked-out examples, and numerous references to the specialist literature make "Applied Polymer Science" an essential reference for advanced students and practicing chemists, physicists, and engineers who want to solve problems with the use of polymeric materials.

Since Hermann Staudinger coined the concept of macromolecules as covalently linked very large molecular entities in 1922, the main focus of ongoing research has been on the synthesis of polymers and copolymers leading to a great variety of stable, structural, and functional materials. On the other hand, during the last 15 years the knowledge about supramolecular self-organization of polymers with low molecular-weight compounds by reversible non-covalent interactions gained increasing attention. In particular, the interactions of cyclic molecules, called hosts, with polymersbecame increasingly attractive, since the propertiesof polymerssuch assolubilityor crystallinitycanbe alteredwithoutthe needof chemicalreactions. In contrast to regular polymersor copolymers,supramolecularstructurescomprisedof polymers and ring-shaped hosts are not totally stable. Therefore they can show p- grammable lifetimes or adapt speci?cally to different environments. In this respect polymeric supramolecular structures resemble living systems more than regular polymers. This volume is mainly devoted to a very fascinating class of ring-shaped cyclic ?(1?4) linked oligo-glucans, named cyclodextrins. Cyclodextrins are industrially produced from the renewable resource starch. They are especially suitable for the self-assembly of water based supramolecular structures, and they are highly b- compatible. Cyclodextrinsare able to complexboth monomersand polymerswhich offer suitable hydrophobic binding sites. The driving forces are mainly van der Waals and hydrophobic interactions. This complexation process is called inc- sion and the resulting supramolecular structures inclusion compounds. In addition, Chapter 6 of this volume is devoted to another interesting host, a cyclic urea c- pound called cucurbituril, which is able to recognize cationic guest molecules in aqueous solution.

Conjugated polymers have important technological applications, including solar cells and light emitting devices. They are also active components in many important biological processes. In recent years there have been significant advances in our understanding of these systems, owing to both improved experimental measurements and the development of advanced computational techniques. The aim of this book is to describe and explain the electronic and optical properties of conjugated polymers. It focuses on the three key roles of electron-electron interactions, electron-nuclear coupling, and disorder in determining the character of the electronic states, and it relates these properties to experimental observations in real systems. A number of important optical and electronic processes in conjugated polymers are also described. The second edition has a more extended discussion of excitons in conjugated polymers. There is also a new chapter on the static and dynamical localization of excitons.

This book presents new approaches that offer a better characterization of the interrelationship between crystalline and amorphous phases. In recent years, the use of dielectric spectroscopy has significantly improved our understanding of crystallization. The combination of modern scattering methods, using either synchrotron light or neutrons and infrared spectroscopy with dielectrics, is now helping to reveal modifications of both crystalline and amorphous phases. In turn, this yields insights into the underlying physics of the crystallization process in various materials, e.g. polymers, liquid crystals and diverse liquids. The book offers an excellent introduction to a valuable application of dielectric spectroscopy, and a helpful guide for every scientist who wants to study crystallization processes by means of dielectric spectroscopy.

The progress in polymer science is revealed in the chapters of "Polymer Science: A Comprehensive Reference." In Volume 1, this is reflected in the improved understanding of the properties of polymers in solution, in bulk and in confined situations such as in thin films. Volume 2 addresses new characterization techniques, such as high resolution optical microscopy, scanning probe microscopy and other procedures for surface and interface characterization. Volume 3 presents the great progress achieved in precise synthetic polymerization techniques for vinyl monomers to control macromolecular architecture: the development of metallocene and post-metallocene catalysis for olefin polymerization, new ionic polymerization procedures, and atom transfer radical polymerization, nitroxide mediated polymerization, and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer systems as the most often used controlled/living radical polymerization methods. Volume 4 is devoted to kinetics, mechanisms and applications of ring opening polymerization of heterocyclic monomers and cycloolefins (ROMP), as well as to various less common polymerization techniques. Polycondensation and non-chain polymerizations, including dendrimer synthesis and various "click" procedures, are covered in Volume 5. Volume 6 focuses on several aspects of controlled macromolecular architectures and soft nano-objects including hybrids and bioconjugates. Many of the achievements would have not been possible without new characterization techniques like AFM that allowed direct imaging of single molecules and nano-objects with a precision available only recently. An entirely new aspect in polymer science is based on the combination of bottom-up methods such as polymer synthesis and molecularly programmed self-assembly with top-down structuring such as lithography and surface templating, as presented in Volume 7. It encompasses polymer and nanoparticle assembly in bulk and under confined conditions or influenced by an external field, including thin films, inorganic-organic hybrids, or nanofibers. Volume 8 expands these concepts focusing on applications in advanced technologies, e.g. in electronic industry and centers on combination with top down approach and functional properties like conductivity. Another type of functionality that is of rapidly increasing importance in polymer science is introduced in volume 9. It deals with various aspects of polymers in biology and medicine, including the response of living cells and tissue to the contact with biofunctional particles and surfaces. The last volume is devoted to the scope and potential provided by environmentally benign and green polymers, as well as energy-related polymers. They discuss new technologies needed for a sustainable economy in our world of limited resources.
Provides broad and in-depth coverage of all aspects of polymer science from synthesis/polymerization, properties, and characterization methods and techniques to nanostructures, sustainability and energy, and biomedical uses of polymersProvides a definitive source for those entering or researching in this area by integrating the multidisciplinary aspects of the science into one unique, up-to-date reference workElectronic version has complete cross-referencing and multi-media componentsVolume editors are world experts in their field (including a Nobel Prize winner)

This thesis offers novel insights into the time-dependent structural evolution of polymers under deformation. In-situ tensile experiments at high-brilliance synchrotron sources allowed to characterize the material with unrivaled resolution in time and space. The strain-induced crystallization in natural rubber was studied by wide-angle X-ray diffraction. Special emphasis was put on the establishment of new structure-property relationships to give a more in-depth understanding of the mechanical performance of rubber parts, e.g. in tear fatigue loading. To this end, the kinetics of strain-induced crystallization were investigated, subjecting the material to high strain rates. The local structure around a crack tip was observed by scanning wide-angle X-ray diffraction. Ultra-small angle X-ray scattering served to study filled elastomers under deformation, from specially prepared model filler systems to industrially relevant carbon black filled rubbers. Other methods include electron microscopy coupled with in-situ tensile testing and optical dilatometry to examine cavitation in rubbers.The underlying theory as well as a literature review are covered by an extensive introductory chapter, followed by a description of the experimental techniques. The results are presented in more detail than in the original journal publications.

Recent advances in the field of peptide chemistry and gene technology have resulted in an explosive accumulation of information on biologically active pep tides and functional proteins. Because of the importance of such peptides and proteins in the role of cellular or extracellular regulatory mechanisms and their potential therapeutic value, an understanding of their detailed interactions with the specific receptor should provide useful information for structure-activity studies. These problems have been approached in many ways. However, despite our efforts, many gaps in our knowledge of peptide chemistry remain to be filled, and some answers will no doubt be forthcoming in the next few years. This volume, the Proceedings of the 2nd Japan Symposium on Peptide Chemistry held in Shizuoka, covers all presentations. Speakers and discussants, numbering approximately 550, came from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, India, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Japan. One very sad note was the sudden death, shortly before the conference, of Professor Emeritus Shiro Akabori, an outstanding organic chemist and a pioneer in peptide research. The news shocked his many friends and colleagues, who miss him deeply. Finally, it is a pleasure to acknowledge the help of those individuals and organizations who made the conference possible: the contributing scientists; the advisory committee and the staff of the conference; the Japanese Peptide Society, and other institutions; and the corporations which gave their financial support.

This book presents selected articles from the 2nd International Conference on Nanomaterials and Advanced Composites, which brings together leading researchers and professionals from academia and industry to present their findings and provides a platform for the exchange of ideas and future collaboration. The book covers eight topics, including nanomaterials, polymer materials, mechanical materials, materials chemistry, materials physics, ceramics, recycling materials and green composites.

The series Topics in Current Chemistry Collections presents critical reviews from the journal Topics in Current Chemistry organized in topical volumes. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field. The chapter "Lignin-Based Composite Materials for Photocatalysis and Photovoltaics" is available open access under a CC BY 4.0 License via link.springer.com.

Leading researchers from industry, academy, government and private research institutions across the globe have contributed to this book, which presents all types of rubber blend composites based on biomaterials as well as nanocomposites. It discusses the fundamental preparation methods of these materials and summarizes many of the latest technical research advances, offering an essential guide for academics, researchers, scientists, engineers and students alike.

This volume focuses on studies on the frontier between colloid and polymer science and reveals the broad diversity of results in this field. The volume contains papers on micellar systems, mesophases, vesicles, surface films, gels, polymer colloids, nanoparticles, colloid crystals, and adsorbents.

The book comprehensively covers the different topics of graphene based biopolymer and nanocomposites, mainly synthesis methods for the composite materials, various characterization techniques to study the superior properties and insights on potential advanced applications.The book will address and rectify the complications of using plastics that are non-degradable and has abhorrent impact on environment. The limitations of properties of biopolymer can be vanquished by employing graphene as a nanomaterial. Outstanding properties of graphene in accordance with biopolymer can be utilized to develop applications like water treatment, tissue engineering, photo-catalysts, super-absorbents. This is a useful reference source for both engineers and researchers working in composite materials science as well as the students attending materials science, physics, chemistry, and engineering courses.

This book presents the most recent description of rubber reinforcement, focusing on the network-like structure formation of nanofiller in the rubber matrix under the presence of bound rubber. The resultant filler network is visualized by electron tomography applied to rubber. In the case of natural rubber, the self-reinforcement effect is uniquely functioning, and new template crystallization is suggested. Here, the crystallites are also believed to arrange themselves in a network-like manner. These results are of great use, particularly for engineers, in designing rubber reinforcement.

This book presents an overview of recent academic and industrial research efforts concerning halogen-free flame-retardant (FR) polymers and their nanocomposites. It summarizes the synthesis methods for various types of halogen-free FR polymers and their nanocomposites, and critically reviews their flame-retardant behavior, toxic-gas evolution during combustion, and inhibition methods. In turn, the book discusses the importance of metal oxide nanoparticles, nanoclay, and graphene in flame inhibition and addresses the FR properties of various FR compounds containing polymers, their FR mechanisms, and fire toxicant releasing and inhibition methods in detail. It systematically covers the synergetic effects between different FR compounds, and explains the significance of thermal stability and melt dripping for polymers' FR properties. The fundamental concepts described here are essential to understanding the FR behaviors of various polymers and their nanocomposites, and to developing efficient, environmentally friendly FR polymers and nanocomposites for a wide range of applications. This book is ideally suited for researchers in the fields of polymer science and engineering, and for graduate students in chemistry and materials science.