In the ten years since the scientific rationale for the design, synthesis and application of inorganic and organometallic polymers (IOPs) was first conceptualised, we have witnessed the first tentative exploration of IOPs as precursors to new materials, with efforts focusing on the design and synthesis of novel ceramic precursors. Developing expertise led to precursor studies combined with the characterisation of the transformation processes that occur when IOPs are converted to ceramic materials. Now at maturity, the science presented in this volume reveals the polymer precursor approach to materials synthesis together with examples of processing ceramic shapes for a range of mechanical properties, the development of sophisticated, noninvasive analytical techniques, and IOP design rationales relying on well-defined processing-property relationships. The production of multifunctional IOPs is described, providing ion conductivity, gas sensing, bioactivity, magnetic properties, etc., combined with processability. The existence of well-defined IOPs and the exquisite control that can be exerted on sol-gel systems now provide access to such a variety of mixed organic-organometallic and/or inorganic hybrid systems that their exploitation is likely to develop into an entirely new field of materials chemistry. Future exciting avenues of research are also being opened up with the advent of buckyballs, Met-Cars, dopable preceramics, rigid-rod organometallics, and molecular tinkertoys.

This book summarizes the state ofthe art research presented at the Fourth International Conference on Frontiers of Polymersand Advanced Materialsheld in Cairo, Egypt in January 4-9, 1997. This conference follows the successful conferences held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1995, in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1993 andin New Delhi, India in 1991. These conferences focussed on the most recent and important advances in a wide range of carefully chosen subject areas dealing with advanced materials, their science and technology and new business opportunities resulting from recent technological advances. As its predecessors, the conference held in Cairo was truly international with strong participation of 488 deiegales representing 37 countries from the USA and Egypt, as weil as Europe, South East Asia, Japan, South Africa and the Middle East. The conference was organized by the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, The Arab Society ofMaterials Science and the State University ofNew Y ork at Butfalo. The stated goals ofthe conference were: • To highlight advances and new. findings in the general area of polymers and advanced materials. - • T o foster global collaboration between the USA, Egypt and other nations in the general field of polymers and advanced materials. • To promote the development of scientific ilifrastructure in this field among the different participating countries, especially in the Middle East. • To create a basisforfuture long-term scientific exchanges between the USA and Egypt, and/or other countries.

Sol-Gel processing methods, first used historically for decorative and constructional materials, were extensively developed in the last century for applications such as glasses, ceramics, catalysts, coatings, composites and fibres. Today they are reaching their full potential, enabling the preparation of new generations of advanced materials not easily accessible by other methods yet using mild, low-energy conditions. The topic is therefore increasingly included in advanced undergraduate, MSc and PhD programmes in the areas of chemistry, physics and materials science. This concise introductory text, written at the advanced undergraduate/first-year postgraduate level, is also suitable as an introduction to the development, mechanisms, chemistry, characterisation methods and applications of the technique. It provides readers with an extensive yet concise grounding in the theory of each area of the subject and details the real and potential applications and the future prospects of sol-gel chemistry.

The principles of Green Chemistry aim to improve the sustainability of chemical processes and reduce the generation of hazardous substances. There has been great growth in the field over the past few years and the number of research groups working in this area is still increasing. Now one of the biggest challenges is to embed the Green Chemistry ideals of safety and sustainability as standard, both in industry and academia. In order to do this, it is important to create resources that detail different applications and approaches. Green Synthetic Processes and Procedures brings together expert contributors from across a number of areas of green synthesis to cover a diverse array of subjects. Providing a thorough overview of the current green synthetic toolbox, from biocatalysis to sonochemistry, this book is a useful resource for any chemist wishing to design cleaner and safer processes.

This book focuses on advanced processing of new and emerging materials, and advanced manufacturing systems based on thermal transport and fluid flow. It examines recent areas of considerable growth in new and emerging manufacturing techniques and materials, such as fiber optics, manufacture of electronic components, polymeric and composite materials, alloys, microscale components, and new devices and applications. The book includes analysis, mathematical modeling, numerical simulation and experimental study of processes for prediction, design and optimization. It discusses the link between the characteristics of the final product and the basic transport mechanisms and provides a foundation for the study of a wide range of manufacturing processes. Focuses on new and advanced methods of manufacturing and materials processing with traditional methods described in light of the new approaches; Maximizes reader understanding of the fundamentals of how materials change, what transport processes are involved, and how these can be simulated and optimized - concepts not covered elsewhere; Introduces new materials and applications in manufacturing and summarizes traditional processing methods, such as heat treatment, extrusion, casting, injection molding, and bonding, to show how they have evolved and how they could be used for meeting the challenges that we face today.

This book aims to correlate the latest advances in, and applications of, biomass and resource utilization technology, energy chemical industry, biochemical industry, paper and fiber engineering, chemical process machinery, nano-biochemistry and nano-materials, medicine and biomedical engineering, etc. It will serve as a useful handbook guide to those fields. Volume is indexed by Thomson Reuters CPCI-S (WoS).