This review discusses the preparation of highly ordered polyacetylene blends and compares forms of polyacetylene obtained by different methodsand includes an analysis of the formation of defects in polyacetylene during growth of the polyene chain and cis-trans isomerisation. The mechanism of acetylene polymerisation with rhenium catalysts, and the reactivity of highly ordered polyacetylene blends to oxidation and doping are also discussed. An additional indexed section containing several hundred abstracts from the Rapra Polymer Library database gives useful references for further reading.

This review sets out to describe the types of flame retardants available for compounding into plastics materials, mechanisms of action and uses. This review provides a clear overview of the state-of-the-art of flame retardancy for plastics. It highlights the new developments and the potential problems with legislation, together with the benefits to end users of protection from fire hazards. This review is accompanied by around 400 abstracts from papers and books in the Rapra Polymer Library.

This Rapra Review Report examines the use of biocides in plastics with reference to material types and application requirements. The commonly available biocides are reviewed and details of their strengths and weaknesses are provided. The author reviews the frequently used test methods for fungi and bacteria, and, in an ever-changing regulatory environment, explores the influence of legislation on the current and future use of such biocides. This detailed and state-of-the-art review is supported by an indexed section containing several hundred key references and abstracts selected from the Polymer Library database.

This Rapra Review Report, Coatings and Inks for Food Contact Materials, has attempted to cover all of the coatings and inks products used in food contact scenarios. In practice, this encompasses an extremely wide range of polymer systems and formulations, and an emphasis has been placed on coatings and inks used in food packaging, as this is usually regarded as representing the most important application category with respect to the potential for migration to occur. In addition to a thorough introduction of the polymers and additives that are used to produce coatings and inks, there are also chapters covering the regulation of these materials, the migration and analytical tests that are performed on them to assess their suitability for food contact applications, the migration data that have been published, and the areas in the field that are receiving the most attention for research and development. The report is accompanied by around 400 abstracts compiled from the Polymer Library, to facilitate further reading on this subject.