This book gives an overview of recent advances in the science and technology of polymeric and organic materials. Speciality polymers and novel polymeric catalysts have been objects of intense research during the last decade; they have had great influence in the chemical industry and have spawned a variety of new application areas. At the same time, novel investigative methods such as atomic force microscopy and computer simulation have provided new insight into some of the fundamental principles of polymer science. In a systematic and comprehensive manner, each chapter of this book gives a self-contained review of a particular aspect of recent progress. This book is the first attempt to provide a background perspective to the research field of polymeric and organic materials and it will be of great value to both professional researchers and postgraduate students.

In recent years the Japanese have funded a comprehensive study of carbon materials which incorporate other elements including boron, nitrogen and fluorine, hence the title of the project "Carbon Alloys."

Coined in 1992, the phrase "Carbon Alloys" can be applied to those materials mainly composed of carbon materials in multi-component systems. The carbon atoms of each component have a physical and/or chemical interactive relationship with other atoms or compounds. The carbon atoms of the components may have different hybrid bonding orbitals to create quite different carbon components.

Eiichi Yasuda and his team consider the definition of Carbon Alloys, present the results of the Carbon Alloys projects, describe typical Carbon Alloys and their uses, discuss recent techniques for their characterization, and finally, illustrate potential applications and future developments for Carbon Alloy science. The book contains over thirty chapters on these studies from as many researchers.

The most modern of techniques, particularly in the area of spectroscopy, were used as diagnostic tools, and many of these are applicable to pure carbons also. Porosity in carbons received considerable attention.