This new book—the first of its kind—examines the use of algorithmic techniques to compress random and non-random sequential strings found in chains of polymers. The book is an introduction to algorithmic complexity. Examples taken from current research in the polymer sciences are used for compression of like-natured properties as found on a chain of polymers. Both theory and applied aspects of algorithmic compression are reviewed. A description of the types of polymers and their uses is followed by a chapter on various types of compression systems that can be used to compress polymer chains into manageable units. The work is intended for graduate and postgraduate university students in the physical sciences and engineering.

Optimization is now essential in the design, planning and operation of chemical and related processes. Although process optimization for multiple objectives was studied in the 1970s and 1980s, it has attracted active research in the last 15 years, spurred by the new and effective techniques for multi-objective optimization (MOO). To capture this renewed interest, this monograph presents recent research in MOO techniques and applications in chemical engineering.Following a brief introduction and review of MOO applications in chemical engineering since 2000, the book presents selected MOO techniques and many chemical engineering applications in detail. In this second edition, several chapters from the first edition have been updated, one chapter is completely revised and three new chapters have been added. One of the new chapters describes three MS Excel programs useful for MOO of application problems. All the chapters will be of interest to researchers in MOO and/or chemical engineering. Several exercises are included at the end of many chapters, for use by both practicing engineers and students.

Written by leading experts from around the world, Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics Simulations in Polymer Science comprehensively reviews the latest simulation techniques for macromolecular materials. Focusing in particular on numerous new techniques, the book offers authoritative introductions to solutions of neutral polymers and polyelectrolytes; dynamics of polymer melts, rubbers and gels, and glassy materials; thermodynamics of polymer mixing and mesophase formation, and polymers confined at interfaces and grafted to walls. Throughout, contributors offer practical advice on how to overcome the unique challenges posed by the large size and slow relaxation of polymer coils. Students and researchers in polymer chemistry, polymer physics, chemical engineering, and materials and computational science will all benefit from the cogent, step-by-step introductions contained in this important new book.

This book offers a comprehensive introduction to polymer rheology with a focus on the viscoelastic characterization of polymeric materials. It contains various numerical algorithms for the processing of viscoelastic data, from basic principles to advanced examples which are hard to find in the existing literature. The book takes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the viscoelasticity of polymers, and is self-contained, including the essential mathematics, continuum mechanics, polymer science and statistical mechanics needed to understand the theories of polymer viscoelasticity. It covers recent achievements in polymer rheology, such as theoretical and experimental aspects of large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS), and numerical methods for linear viscoelasticity, as well as new insights into the interpretation of experimental data. Although the book is balanced between the theoretical and experimental aspects of polymer rheology, the author’s particular interest in the theoretical side will not remain hidden. Aimed at readers familiar with the mathematics and physics of engineering at an undergraduate level, the multidisciplinary approach employed enables researchers with various scientific backgrounds to expand their knowledge of polymer rheology in a systematic way.

The compact, affordable reference, revised and updated The Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology, Concise Third Edition provides the key information from the complete, twelve-volume Mark's Encyclopedia in an affordable, condensed format. Completely revised and updated, this user-friendly desk reference offers quick access to all areas of polymer science, including important advances in nanotechnology, imaging and analytical techniques, controlled polymer architecture, biomimetics, and more, all in one volume. Like the twelve-volume full edition, the Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology, Concise Third Edition provides both SI and common units, carefully selected key references for each article, and hundreds of tables, charts, figures, and graphs.

Metaheuristics exhibit desirable properties like simplicity, easy parallelizability and ready applicability to different types of optimization problems such as real parameter optimization, combinatorial optimization and mixed integer optimization. They are thus beginning to play a key role in different industrially important process engineering applications, among them the synthesis of heat and mass exchange equipment, synthesis of distillation columns and static and dynamic optimization of chemical and bioreactors. This book explains cutting-edge research techniques in related computational intelligence domains and their applications in real-world process engineering. It will be of interest to industrial practitioners and research academics.

Exponential growth in population and improved standards of living demand increasing amount of freshwater and are putting serious strain on the quantity of naturally available freshwater worldwide. Water Management: Social and Technological Perspectives discusses developments in energy-efficient water production, management, wastewater treatment, and social and political aspects related to water management and re-use of treated water. It features a scientific and technological perspective to meeting current and future needs, discussing such technologies as membrane separation using reverse osmosis, the use of nanoparticles for adsorption of impurities from wastewater, and the use of thermal methods for desalination. The book also discusses increasing the efficiency of water usage in industrial, agricultural, and domestic applications to ensure a sustainable system of water production, usage, and recycling. With 30 chapters authored by internationally renowned experts, this work offers readers a comprehensive view of both social and technological outlooks to help solve this global issue.