Polymers are ubiquitous and pervasive in industry, science, and technology. These giant molecules have great significance not only in terms of products such as plastics, films, elastomers, fibers, adhesives, and coatings but also less ob viously though none the less importantly in many leading industries (aerospace, electronics, automotive, biomedical, etc.). Well over half the chemists and chem ical engineers who graduate in the United States will at some time work in the polymer industries. If the professionals working with polymers in the other in dustries are taken into account, the overall number swells to a much greater total. It is obvious that knowledge and understanding of polymers is essential for any engineer or scientist whose professional activities involve them with these macromolecules. Not too long ago, formal education relating to polymers was very limited, indeed, almost nonexistent. Speaking from a personal viewpoint, I can recall my first job after completing my Ph.D. The job with E.I. Du Pont de Nemours dealt with polymers, an area in which I had no university training. There were no courses in polymers offered at my alma mater. My experience, incidentally, was the rule and not the exception.

Polymers have an important role in manufacturing and their engineering properties form an important part of any course in engineering. This revised and updated second edition develops the principles of polymer engineering from the underlying materials science, and is aimed at undergraduateand postgraduate students in engineering and materials science. The opening chapters explain why plastics and rubbers have such distinctive properties and how these are affected by temperature, strain rate, and other factors. The book then explores how these properties can be exploited within theseproperty constraints to produce functional components. Major changes for this second edition include an introductory chapter on the environmental impact of polymers, emphasizing the important issues, and substantially revised sections on fracture testing for toughened polymers, yield, processing,heat transfer, and polymer forming.

Tremendous developments in the field of polymer science, its growing importance, and an increase in the number of polymer science courses in both physics and chemistry departments have led to the revision of the First Edition. This new edition addresses subjects as spectroscopy (NMR), dynamic light scattering, and other modern techniques unknown before the publication of the First Edition. The Second Edition focuses on both theory (physics and chemistry) and engineering applications which make it useful for chemistry, physics, and chemical engineering departments.

W ALL ARE SURROUNDED by plastic materials and cannot imagine modem life and utilities without the synthetic polymers. And yet, how many of us can distinguish between polyethylene and PVC? After all, most people name any polymer as ''Nylon. /I Is there any distinction between polymers and plastics? This introductory textbook tries to answer these questions and many others. It endeavors to provide the basic information required in modem life about the best utilization of new materials in the plastics era; the chemical sources of synthetic polymers, and the processes in which small"simple" molecules are converted to giant macromolecules, namely, high polymers; and the understanding of the role of these unique structures, their behavior and performance, their mechanical and thermal properties, flow and deforma tion. As we are mainly interested in the final product, the processing of plastics, through shaping and forming, presents a significant challenge to polymer engineering. All this is broadly discussed, ending with modem issues like composites, ecology and future prediction, followed by up-to-date informa tion and data about old as well as novel high performance polymers. The text is particularly targeted towards senior students of science and engineering (chemical, material, mechanical and others) who may use it as the first window to the world of polymers. At the same time many profession als who are involved in the resin or plastics industry may prefer this approach without elaborate math or overloading.

Introduction to Plastics Engineering provides a single reference covering the basics of polymer and plastics materials, and their properties, design, processing and applications in a practical way. The book discusses materials engineering through properties formulation, combining part design and processing to produce final products. This book will be a beneficial guide to materials engineers developing new formulations, processing engineers producing those formulations, and design and product engineers seeking to understand the materials and methods for developing new applications. The book incorporates material properties, engineering, processing, design, applications and sustainable and bio based solutions. Ideal for those just entering the industry, or transitioning between sectors, this is a quick, relevant and informative reference guide to plastics engineering and processing for engineers and plastics practitioners. - Provides a single unified reference covering plastics materials, properties, design, processing and applications - Offers end-to-end coverage of the industry, from formulation to part design, processing, and the final product - Serves as an ideal introductory book for new plastics engineers and students of plastics engineering - Provides a convenient reference for more experienced practitioners

Fundamental concepts coupled with practical, step-by-step guidance With its emphasis on core principles, this text equips readers with the skills and knowledge to design the many processes needed to safely and successfully manufacture thermoplastic parts. The first half of the text sets forth the general theory and concepts underlying polymer processing, such as the viscoelastic response of polymeric fluids and diffusion and mass transfer. Next, the text explores specific practical aspects of polymer processing, including mixing, extrusion dies, and post-die processing. By addressing a broad range of design issues and methods, the authors demonstrate how to solve most common processing problems. This Second Edition of the highly acclaimed Polymer Processing has been thoroughly updated to reflect current polymer processing issues and practices. New areas of coverage include: Micro-injection molding to produce objects weighing a fraction of a gram, such as miniature gears and biomedical devices New chapter dedicated to the recycling of thermoplastics and the processing of renewable polymers Life-cycle assessment, a systematic method for determining whether recycling is appropriate and which form of recycling is optimal Rheology of polymers containing fibers Chapters feature problem sets, enabling readers to assess and reinforce their knowledge as they progress through the text. There are also special design problems throughout the text that reflect real-world polymer processing issues. A companion website features numerical subroutines as well as guidance for using MATLAB®, IMSL®, and Excel to solve the sample problems from the text. By providing both underlying theory and practical step-by-step guidance, Polymer Processing is recommended for students in chemical, mechanical, materials, and polymer engineering.