This monograph is an updated and extended edition of Strength and Fracture of Polymer Films, which was published in Russian in 1999. It presents the results of long-term theoretical and experimental studies of brittle and quasi-brittle fracture of solid polymers. The principal results of a comprehensive and detailed investigation of the statistical

This volume deals with chemistry of polyelectrolytes, namely biocide guanidine containing polymers, discussing both synthesis of new guanidine containing monomers of diallyl and acrylic nature and their structure and investigation of their radical (co)polymerization and properties of new (co)polymers.The first parts of the book describe radical pol

The basic problem of polymer physics is obtaining a ‘structure-propertiesa correlations for their future application for practical purposes. However, these cannot be obtained without the development of a quantitative model of the polymer structure.This problem has been actively investigated during the last 45 years.

To identify the specific features of the kinetics of oxidation of polymer mixtures, determine the key structural elements, and create a model that can describe the mechanism of thermal oxidation of polymer mixtures, it is necessary to determine the relation between the initial structure of a polymer mixture, structural rearrangements associated with oxidation and the kinetics of the process. The aim of this book is to elucidate the complicated problem concerning the connection between the structure and mechanism of oxidation of heterogeneous and heterophase polymer systems. The material presented in this book concerns the specific features of the kinetics of oxidation and those of the structure of polymer systems. The book deals with an analysis of the key factors that can affect principally the mechanism of thermal oxidation of polymer mixtures, determines the role of the phase morphology, structure of components, and the interface layer (or boundary) in the kinetics of oxidation of heterophase system by an example of mixtures of polyolefines. Along with the kinetics of oxidation of heterophase systems, problems of investigation of their structural parameters in the oxidized state are considered. With this aim, the material presented in the book concerns not only the mechanism of oxidation of polymer mixtures but also homopolymers of diverse morphology and model systems.

Photodegradation and light stabilization are very important aspects of polymer aging. Polymer degradation includes different types of processes: thermodegradation, oxidation, acting of ozone, photodegradation, radiation, hydrolysis, mechanical degradation, and biodegradation. It is very important to know the mechanism of polymer degradation in order to select stabilizers against the degradation. This volume presents the analysis of achievements in the field of photodegradation of polymers. It includes, first of all, data of Russian investigators who have decisively contributed in the development of this field of knowledge (the schools headed by academicians V.V. Korshak, N.M. Emanuel, N.S. Enikolopov, A.A. Berlin, and many others).

New fields of science and technology call for new materials with valuable performance characteristics. Long-term resistance to such temperatures can be found only in polymers with chains made up of thermostable fragments. Particularly interesting in this respect are elementorganic polymers with inorganic and organo-inorganic molecular chains. Eleme

The monograph is intended for elucidation of the novel trend in chemical physics regarding the polymer non-crystalline phase. It stresses the physical phenomena affecting the kinetics and mechanism of chemical reactions proceeding in the non-crystalline polymer matrix (NCPM). NCPM is depicted in terms of a supramolecular (carcass-micellar) model. The model is thought to reflect heterophase packing of polymeric chains, which co-operate as a molecular-chain sponge. The NCPM model presented is proved for adequate description of principal structure-physical phenomena to elaborate the scheme of structural-kinetic modeling of chemical reactions in bulky polymers. Structure-physical phenomena elucidated in the monograph are: - peculiarities of polymer plasticization and polymer blending with liquids; - structural and thermodynamic aspects of sorption of low molecular species; - properties of ESR (spin) probes and optical (molecular) probes; - features of water absorbed by polymers; - mechanical and thermal effects generated by the molecular-chain sponge; - supramolecular aspects of NCPM chemical physics. This monograph includes the structural-kinetic modeling of complex polymer chemical reactions. It deals with the problem of mechanism and kinetics of free radical chain reactions using thermal and photochemical model reactions of dibenzoyl peroxide with glassy-like polymers (cellulose triacetate, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyamide PA-548), viscoelastic polymers (atactic polypropylene, polyamide PA-548, polyethylene, polyisobutylene, melted poly(ethylene oxide), and isotactic polypropylene. In all cases, the supramolecular heterophase mechanism of the processes, which was unknown for homogeneous systems, was proved. Furthermore, heterophase mechanisms of photochemical reaction between naphthalene and cellulose triacetate and photolysis of poly(methyl methacrylate) proceeding as a photochain reaction are indicated.