This volume represents the Highest Impact Factor of all journals ranked by ISI within Polymer Science. It contains short and concise reports on physics and chemistry of polymers, each written by the world renowned experts. The information remains valid and useful after five or ten years. The electronic version is available free of charge for standing order customers at: springer.com/series/12/

This series presents critical reviews of the present and future trends in polymer and biopolymer science including chemistry, physical chemistry, physics and materials science. It is addressed to all scientists at universities and in industry who wish to keep abreast of advances in the topics covered.

Impact Factor Ranking: Always number one in Polymer Science. More information as well as the electronic version of the whole content available at: www.springerlink.com

This volume represents the Highest Impact Factor of all journals ranked by ISI within Polymer Science. It contains short and concise reports on physics and chemistry of polymers, each written by the world renowned experts. The information remains valid and useful after five or ten years. The electronic version is available free of charge for standing order customers at: springer.com/series/12/

This series presents critical reviews of the present and future trends in polymer and biopolymer science including chemistry, physical chemistry, physics and materials science. It is addressed to all scientists at universities and in industry who wish to keep abreast of advances in the topics covered.

Impact Factor Ranking: Always number one in Polymer Science. More information as well as the electronic version of the whole content available at: www.springerlink.com

Knowledge is the foundation for mankind's most successful ventures. Today there is a visible shift in science, where people have shifted from chemistry to biology, and from biology to medicine. Everybody wishes to be wealthy and healthy. Jonathan Swift once said, "Everybody wants to live longer but nobody wants to be old." Still, the role of polymer chemistry (pure and applied sciences) is very prominent in the world of science today, but it is heading away from polymers and polymer blends towards composites and nanocomposites. It allows for the creation of new materials with unique properties and new possibilities. This a second edition on this subject. If we measure the world's production of materials by volume and not by weight, then we find that it equals the production of iron, cast, steel, and coloured metals together. This volume equals 250-270 million cubic metric of material per year. It is important to note that the rate of production of polymers is overcoming the rate of production of metals by 30-40%. Mankind used to live in the Stone Age, then the Iron Age, then the Bronze Age, and now it has come to be the Age of Polymers (leaning heavily towards composites and nanocomposites). There are reviews and essays, according to the opinions of editors, that are helping to further develop polymer science and assist in solving practical applications (new materials with improved properties).

The role of polymer chemistry (pure and applied sciences) is very prominent in the world of science today, but it is heading away from polymers and polymer blends towards composites and nanocomposites. This allows for the creation of new materials with unique properties and new possibilities which is the subject of this book.