This book presents the reports on the developments in the field of urethane. It includes information on polyurethane automotive carpet composites, pentane blown polyurethane foams, and applications of polyols derived from renewable resources in polyurethanes and liquid crystalline polyurethanes.

On this, the dawning of a new age in high technology, man is seeking answers to increasingly complex problems. We are routinely launching reusable vehicles into space, designing and building computers with seemingly limitless powers, and developing sophisticated communications systems using laser technology, fiber optics, holography, etc., all of which require new and advanced materials. Polymer alloys continue to provide new solutions to the materials problems, and remain an area of ever increasing research. Polymer alloys are mu1ticomponent macromolecular systems. The components may be all on the same chain (as in block co polymers), on side chains (as in graft copolymers), or in different molecules (as in po1yb1ends and interpenetrating polymer networks). The variety of morphologies possible and the synergistic effects on ultimate properties continue to stimulate research on new polymer alloys. More and more studies on synthesis of new alloys, the kinetics and mecha nisms of their formation, and their characterization, are taking place, as well as studies on their processing and applications. This book presents the proceedings of the Symposium on Polymer Alloys, sponsored by the American Chemical Society's Division of OrganiC Coatings and Plastics Chemistry held at the 182nd meeting of the American Chemical Society in New York, in August, 1981. The most recent efforts of scientists and engineers from allover the world in this increasingly important field are presented in the following pages."

The term "alloy" as pertaining to polymers has become an increasingly popular description of composites of polymers, parti cularly since the publication of the first volume in this series in 1977. Polymer alloy refers to that class of macromolecular materials which, in general, consists of combinations of chemically different polymers. The polymers involved in these combinations may be hetero geneous (multiphase) or homogeneous (single phase). They may be linked together with covalent bonds between the component polymers (block copolymers, graft copolymers), linked topologically with no covalent bonds (interpenetrating polymer networks), or not linked at all except physically (polyblends). In addition, they may be linear (thermoplastic), crosslinked (thermosetting), crystalline, or amorphous, although the latter is more common. To the immense satisfaction - but not surprise - of the editors, there has been no decrease in the research and development of polymer alloys since the publication of the first volume, as evidenced by numerous publications, conferences and symposia. Continued advances in polymer technology caused by the design of new types of polymer alloys have also been noted. This technolog ical interest stems from the fact that these materials very often exhibit a synergism in properties achievable only by the formation of polymer alloys. The classic examples, of course, are the high impact plastics, which are either polyblends, block, or graft co polymers composed of a rubbery and a glassy polymer. Interpene trating polymer networks (IPN's) of such polymers also exhibit the same, or even greater, synergism."

Alloy is a term commonly associated with metals and implies a composite which may be sinqle phase (solid solution) or heterophase. Whichever the case, metallic alloys generally exist because they exhibit improved properties over the base metal. There are numer ous types of metallic alloys, including interstitial solid solutions, substitutional solid solutions, and multiphase combinations of these with intermetallic compounds, valency compounds, electron compounds, etc. A similar situation exists with polymers. There are numerous types of composites, or "alloys" of polymers in existence today with new ones being created continuously. Polyblends are simple physical mixtures of the constituent polymers with no covalent bonds occuring between them. As with metals, these may be homogeneous (single phase) solid solytions or heterogeneous (multiple phase) mixtures. With polymers, the latter case is by far the most prevalent situation due to the thermodynamic incompatibility of most polymers. This is due to the relatively small gain in entropy upon mixing the polymers due to contiguity restrictions imposed by their large chain length."

Describing all classes of polymeric foams, including their chemistry, synthesis, commercial production methods, properties, and applications, this handbook is designed to support engineers in their effort to develop practical solutions for industrial design and manufacturing challenges. Since the publication of the previous edition of this book over a decade ago, many of the industry's most pressing problems, including environmentally acceptable blowing agents, combustibility, and solid waste disposal, have been addressed and significant progress has been made. The new edition addresses these developments and also presents several new classes of foam brought to industrial application in recent years.