Polymeric materials are used for a legion of applications in a wide array of technological areas, and their proper surface/interface characteristics are of cardinal importance for their applications. Therefore, the need to characterize polymer surfaces/interfaces and their suitable modification to impart desired characteristics is quite patent. This book chronicles the proceedings of the Symposium on Polymer Surfaces and Interfaces: Characterization, Modification and Application held as a part of the Society of Plastics Engineers Annual Technical Conference, Boston, May 7--11, 1995. The articles in this book address many aspects of polymer surfaces and interfaces. Topics covered include: various ways (chemical, photochemical, laser, flame, corona) to modify polymer surfaces; modification of contact lens surfaces; various ways to analyze/characterize polymer surfaces; metal/polymer interfaces; metal/polyimide adhesion; metal/self-assembled organic monolayer interfaces; polymer alignment layers for liquid crystals; alignment of liquid crystal surfaces; polyimide alignment layers; molecular re-orientation of polymer surfaces; plasma polymerized organic coatings; epoxy/fiber interphase; epoxy underfill materials for packaging integrated circuits; transport in polymers; polymer miscibility; and cell adhesion.

Polymeric materials are used for a legion of applications in a wide array of technological areas, and their proper surface/interface characteristics are of cardinal importance for their applications. Therefore, the need to characterize polymer surfaces/interfaces and their suitable modification to impart desired characteristics is quite patent. This book chronicles the proceedings of the Symposium on Polymer Surfaces and Interfaces: Characterization, Modification and Application held as a part of the Society of Plastics Engineers Annual Technical Conference, Boston, May 7--11, 1995. The articles in this book address many aspects of polymer surfaces and interfaces. Topics covered include: various ways (chemical, photochemical, laser, flame, corona) to modify polymer surfaces; modification of contact lens surfaces; various ways to analyze/characterize polymer surfaces; metal/polymer interfaces; metal/polyimide adhesion; metal/self-assembled organic monolayer interfaces; polymer alignment layers for liquid crystals; alignment of liquid crystal surfaces; polyimide alignment layers; molecular re-orientation of polymer surfaces; plasma polymerized organic coatings; epoxy/fiber interphase; epoxy underfill materials for packaging integrated circuits; transport in polymers; polymer miscibility; and cell adhesion.

In what is an extremely practical and applicable new work, experts provide concise explanations, with examples and illustrations, of the key techniques in this important field. In each case, after basic principles have been reviewed, applications of the experimental techniques are discussed and illustrated with specific examples. Scientists and engineers in research and development will benefit from an application-oriented book that helps them to find solutions to both fundamental and applied problems. They will know that the surfaces and interfaces of polymers play an important role in most of the application areas of polymers, from moulds, foils, and composites, to biomaterials and applications in micro- and nanotechnology.

A collection of review papers which give an up-to-date interdisciplinary view of current technology and research on polymer surfaces. Contributors are drawn from both academia and industry, and represent a cross-section of subject interests.

Polymer Surfaces - From Physics to Technology is divided into four main sections. Firstly the origins and physical principles governing the properties of polymer surfaces are considered. Next the authors discuss methods of characterization, particularly spectroscopic, and those connected to surface energetics.

This fully updated edition provides a broad approach to the surface analysis of polymers being of high technological interest. Modern analytical techniques, potential applications and recent advances in instrumental apparatus are discussed. The self-consistent chapters are devoted to techniques from photoelectron spectroscopy to electron microscopies and wettability.

This book reviews state-of-the-art of polymeric biomaterials for regenerative medicine, and highlights advances in both basic science and clinical practice. It summarizes the latest techniques in polymeric scaffold fabrication, delivery carriers, physicochemical property modulation, as well as their influence on adhesion and the performance of biomolecules, cells and tissues. It also describes methods for creating biofunctional surfaces/interfaces and subsequently modulating the host response to implantable materials. Lastly, it discusses the applications of biomaterials and constructs in soft-tissue regenerative medicine. It is a valuable resource for materials scientists and engineers wishing to identify research priorities to fulfill clinical needs and provides physicians with insights into emerging novel biomaterials. This integrated approach also offers engineering students a sense of the relevance of materials science in the development of novel therapeutic strategies.