A handbook on polyolefins. This second edition includes new material on the structure, morphology and properties of polyolefin (PO) synthesis. It focuses on synthetic advances, the use of additives, special coverage of PO blends, composites and fibres, and surface treatments. It also addresses the problem of interfacial and superficial phenomena.

Environmentally Degradable Materials (EDPs) should replace petroleum-based plastics where recycling is not viable for logistic or labor cost reason. This book discusses the general background of obtaining such systems, compatibilization methodologies, control of the rate of degradation and final products after degradation, life time assessment, toxicological aspects, applications and market aspects. This book is a complete guide to the subject of biodegradable materials based on multi-component polymeric systems, mainly such as hydrogels, and interpenetrating polymeric networks. This book is a complete guide to the subject of biodegradable materials based on multicomponent polymeric systems such as mainly hydrogels, interpenetrating polymeric networks.

Polymeric Nanomaterials in Nanotherapeutics describes how polymeric nanosensors and nanorobotics are used for biomedical instrumentation, surgery, diagnosis and targeted drug delivery for cancer, pharmacokinetics, monitoring of diabetes and healthcare. Key areas of coverage include drug administration and formulations for targeted delivery and release of active agents (drug molecules) to non-healthy tissues and cells. The book demonstrates how these are applied to dental work, wound healing, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, infectious diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases, metabolic diseases, and more. Methods of administration discussed include oral, dental, topical and transdermal, pulmonary and nasal, ocular, vaginal, and brain drug delivery and targeting. Drug delivery topics treated in several subchapters includes materials for active targeting and cases study of polymeric nanomaterials in clinical trials. The toxicity and regulatory status of therapeutic polymeric nanomaterials are also examined. The book gives a broad perspective on the topic for researchers, postgraduate students and professionals in the biomaterials, biotechnology, and biomedical fields.

Polymer/clay nanocomposites are a new class of reinforced polymer materials containing low quantities of nanometric-sized clay particles which impart them better mechanical, thermal, electrical, barrier properties, chemical resistance, etc., making them valuable materials in many industrial applications such as; coatings, automotive, packaging, construction, and electronics, etc. They have great potential of increasing the fields of use which indicates them as likely to be involved in many various aspects of our lives in the near future. This book explains the preparation of polymer/clay nanocomposites via emulsion polymerization system and reveals a detailed study on the latex stability which arises as a challenge during nanocomposite latex preparations. The improvements of mechanical and thermal properties of the nanocomposite films as well as the rheological aspects of latexes which have crucial importance for coating applications are discussed. The book also includes a case application of the synthesized nanocomposite latexes as binders in leather finishing and the performance of the nanocomposite coatings is reported as well.

The book focused on the practical aspects of reactive compatibilization-cum-impact modification of complex systems containing both virgin polymers and/or their mixed plastic waste. This issue is critical for waste management as the mechanical recycling is the most viable method, it demands sorting of plastic waste for homogeneous streams- a costly process. Possibility of avoiding this stage by means of reactive compatibilization would make reprocessing much simpler and cheaper in parallel with providing high quality of the end products based on recyclates. The findings on a combined method of compatibilization and impact modification obtained by the authors for virgin polymers like polyolefins (LDPE and PP) and polyamide 6 (PA6) have been also verified for the blends of virgin/recycled polymers. LDPE and PP have been melt functionalized with three polar monomers and further used as reactive compatibilizers, while ethylene-propylene-diene (EPDM) termonomer has been used as an impact modifier. Complex investigations and characterization of advanced multicomponent polymeric systems carried out in this book provided several innovative results, both with scientific and practical value.

This collection of texts written by well-recognised specialists was constituted having in view these important directions of actual research. Sustainable economical growth requires safe resources of raw materials for the industrial production. Today's most frequently used industrial raw material, petroleum, is neither sustainable, because limited, nor environmentally friendly. While the economy of energy can be based on various alter-native raw materials, such as wind, sun, water, biomass, as well as nuclear fission and fusion, the economy of substances is fundamentally depending on biomass, in particular biomass of plants. In the last decades because of the crude oil and other natural resources crisis, a new alternative has been proposed consisting in utilisation of renewable natural resources as feedstock and fuel, among which the biomass is the most promising.

Polymers are substances containing a large number of structural units joined by the same type of linkage. These substances often form into a chain-like structure. Starch, cellulose, and rubber all possess polymeric properties. Today, the polymer industry has grown to be larger than the aluminium, copper and steel industries combined. Polymers already have a range of applications that far exceeds that of any other class of material available to man. Current applications extend from adhesives, coatings, foams, and packaging materials to textile and industrial fibres, elastomers, and structural plastics. Polymers are also used for most composites, electronic devices, biomedical devices, optical devices, and precursors for many newly developed high-tech ceramics. This book presents leading-edge research in this rapidly-changing and evolving field.