After epoxy resins and polyimides, cyanate esters arguably form the most well-developed group of high-temperature, thermosetting polymers. They possess a number of desirable performance characteristics which make them of increasing technological importance, where their somewhat higher costs are acceptable. The principal end uses for cyanate esters are as matrix resins for printed wiring board laminates and structural composites. For the electronics markets, the low dielectric loss characteristics, dimen sional stability at molten solder temperatures and excellent adhesion to conductor metals at temperatures up to 250°C, are desirable. In their use in aerospace composites, unmodified cyanate esters offer twice the frac ture toughness of multifunctional epoxies, while achieving a service tem perature intermediate between epoxy and bis-maleimide capabilities. Applications in radome construction and aircraft with reduced radar signatures utilize the unusually low capacitance properties of cyanate esters and associated low dissipation factors. While a number of commercial cyanate ester monomers and prepoly mers are now available, to date there has been no comprehensive review of the chemistry and recent technological applications of this versatile family of resins. The aims of the present text are to present these in a com pact, readable form. The work is primarily aimed at materials scientists and polymer technologists involved in research and development in the chemical, electronics, aerospace and adhesives industries. It is hoped that advanced undergraduates and postgraduates in polymer chemistry and technology, and materials science/technology will find it a useful introduc tion and source of reference in the course of their studies.

Concise Polymeric Materials Encyclopedia culls the most used, widely applicable articles from the Polymeric Materials Encyclopedia - more than 1,100 - and presents them to you in a condensed, well-ordered format. Featuring contributions from more than 1,800 scientists from all over the world, the book discusses a vast array of subjects related to the: synthesis, properties, and applications of polymeric materials development of modern catalysts in preparing new or modified polymers modification of existing polymers by chemical and physical processes biologically oriented polymers This comprehensive, easy-to-use resource on modern polymeric materials serves as an invaluable addition to reference collections in the polymer field.

Loaded with practical knowledge, Reactive Polymers Fundamentals and Applications: A Concise Guide to Industrial Polymers comprehensively presents the state-of-art of methods and materials for the formulation of polymeric resins. It is an indispensable tool for chemists, engineers, and manufacturers who use, formulate, and cure raw materials into final products. The text focuses on the chemical modification of properties during the final stage of part fabrication from plastics. Newer applications range from the small scale, such as dental fillings, to industrial processes for batch fabrication. The book covers resin groups in major use in industry and under active research and development.

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Due to their special structural features (triazine ring, oxygen linkages, low dielectric loss) cyanate ester resins represent a promising class of high-performance polymers. They are suitable as matrix materials for applications where, among other properties, stability at high service temperatures, low dielectric loss, and good mechanical performance is required. This chapter deals with some general aspects regarding the chemistry and technology of cyanate ester resins and highlights their most important applications. Relevant performance characteristics of cyanate esters and selected blends with bismaleimide and epoxy resins are briefly discussed. Some recent developments regarding novel monomers are presented as well.

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The legacy of Leo Hendrik Baekeland and his development of phenol formal- hyde resins are recognized as the cornerstone of the Plastics Industry in the early twentieth century, and phenolic resins continue to ?ourish after a century of robust growth. On July 13, 1907, Baekeland ?led his “heat and pressure” patent related to the processing of phenol formaldehyde resins and identi?ed their unique utility in a plethora of applications. The year 2010 marks the Centennial Year of the prod- tion of phenolic resins by Leo Baekeland. In 1910, Baekeland formed Bakelite GmbH and launched the manufacture of phenolic resins in Erkner in May 1910. In October 1910, General Bakelite began producing resins in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Lastly, Baekeland collaborated with Dr. Takamine to manufacture phenolic resins in Japan in 1911. These events were instrumental in establishing the Plastics Industry and in tracing the identity to the brilliance of Dr. Leo Baekeland. Phenolic resins remain as a versatile resin system featuring either a stable, thermoplastic novolak composition that cures with a latent source of formaldehyde (hexa) or a heat reactive and perishable resole composition that cures thermally or under acidic or special basic conditions. Phenolic resins are a very large volume resin system with a worldwide volume in excess of 5 million tons/year, and its growth is related to the gross national product (GNP) growth rate globally.