Stereospecific Polymerization of Isoprene, a doctoral dissertation by Dr. Elena Ceausescu, is a study of the synthesis of cis-l, 4-polyisoprene rubber, an elastomer of synthetic rubber whose structure and properties are similar to that of natural rubber. This elastomer is primarily used in the manufacture of tires, belts, hoses, matting, flooring, dampeners, and other synthetic rubber goods. The book is organized into two parts. Part I, the Ph.D. thesis, focuses on the explanation and exposition of the polymerization reaction; properties of the polymer; and certain theoretical aspects related to the polymer's reaction mechanism and kinetics. Part II presents data derived from an extensive variety of experiments and tests intended to serve as a basis for the industrial production of cis-l, 4-polyisoprene rubber. The text will be an interesting book for materials engineers, industrial engineers, chemists, and science students engaged in the study of polymers.

Stereoregular Polymers and Stereospecific Polymerizations: The Contributions of Guilio Natta and his School to Polymer Chemistry, Volume 1 covers the developments in understanding the reactions, nomenclature, and physico-chemical properties of polymers. This volume is composed of 82 chapters, and starts with surveys of the synthesis and crystal structure of polymers. Significant chapters are devoted to the characterization of crystalline polymers, with emphasis on the determination of their viscosity and molecular weight. Other chapters deal with stereospecific polymers of olefins, mechanism of stereospecific catalysis, reaction kinetics. This volume also considers the polymerization of synthetic elastomers and the copolymerization of olefins, as well as their reaction kinetics. The remaining chapters describe the X-ray characterization of isotactic polymers. This book is directed toward polymer chemists.

New synthetic techniques allow chemists to modify polymer microstructures more precisely than ever, making it possible to design materials that meet increasingly demanding performance requirements. Written and edited by experts in the field, Stereoselective Polymerization with Single-Site Catalysts reviews how the relative stereochemistry of

Ziegler-Natta Catalysts and Polymerizations reviews the general aspects of Ziegler-Natta catalysts and polymerizations of olefins, dienes, and many other types of monomers. Topics covered include the physical state of the polymer during polymerization; modification of Ziegler-Natta catalysts by third components; and termination of polymer chain growth. The oxidation state of catalysts and active centers is also discussed, along with copolymerizations and block polymerizations. This book is comprised of 23 chapters and begins with an overview of Ziegler-Natta catalysts and polymerizations, their historical origins, scientific and commercial importance, and major advances in polymer science. The next chapter focuses on definitions and stereochemistry of Ziegler-Natta catalysts, together with analytical methods used to identify and quantitatively measure their structures. Some of the polymers produced commercially with Ziegler-Natta catalysts are considered. The discussion then turns to mechanisms for initiating and propagating olefins; mechanisms for stereochemical control of conjugated and nonconjugated dienes; and the basic kinetic parameters that characterize Ziegler-Natta polymerizations. This monograph is written especially for chemistry and engineering graduate students and for industrial chemists, engineers, and managers who may become involved in a Ziegler-Natta problem.

Early Main Group Metal Catalysis gives a comprehensive overview of catalytic reactions in the presence of group 1 and group 2 metals. Chapters are ordered to reaction type, contain educational elements and deal with concepts illustrated by examples that cover the main developments. After a short introduction on polar organometallic chemistry and synthesis of early main group metal complexes, a variety of catalytic reactions are described, e.g. polymerization of alkenes, hydroamination and phosphination reactions, hydrosilylation, hydroboration and hydrogenation catalysis, as well as enantioselective and Lewis-acid catalysis. The book addresses organic chemists and researchers in industry interested in the state-of-the-art and new possibilities of early main group metal catalysis as well as newcomers to the field. Written by a team of leaders in the field, it is a very welcome addition to the area of main group metal chemistry, and to the field of catalysis.

About ten years after the publication of the Second Edition (1973), it became apparent that it was time for an up-date of this book. This was especially true in this case, since the subject matter has traditionally dealt mainly with the structure, properties, and technology of the various elastomers used in industry, and these are bound to undergo significant changes over the period of a decade. In revising the contents of this volume, it was thought best to keep the orig inal format. Hence the first five chapters discuss the same general subject matter as before. The chapters dealing with natural rubber and the synthetic elastomers are up-dated, and an entirely new chapter has been added on the thermoplastic elastomers, which have, of course, grown tremendously in importance. Another innovation is the addition of a new chapter, "Miscellaneous Elastomers," to take care of "old" elastomers, e.g., polysulfides, which have decreased some what in importance, as well as to introduce some of the newly-developed syn thetic rubbers which have not yet reached high production levels. The editor wishes to express his sincere appreciation to all the contributors, without whose close cooperation this task would have been impossible. He would especially like to acknowledge the invaluable assistance of Dr. Howard Stephens in the planning of this book, and for his suggestion of suitable authors.