This review outlines the nature, culture and trends in the building and construction industry. It describes the current building and construction market place and the applications and potential for the wide range of polymer materials available today. This review is accompanied by indexed summaries of papers from the Rapra Polymer Library database to allow the reader to search for information on specific topics.

This review discusses the legal requirements and property specifications for blowing agents in different applications. Each type of blowing agent is described. Key environmental and physical properties are listed, together with advantages and limitations. Foams are described by types and by applications. An additional indexed section containing several hundred abstracts from the Polymer Library gives useful references for further reading.

Brydson's Plastics Materials, Eighth Edition, provides a comprehensive overview of the commercially available plastics materials that bridge the gap between theory and practice. The book enables scientists to understand the commercial implications of their work and provides engineers with essential theory. Since the previous edition, many developments have taken place in plastics materials, such as the growth in the commercial use of sustainable bioplastics, so this book brings the user fully up-to-date with the latest materials, references, units, and figures that have all been thoroughly updated. The book remains the authoritiative resource for engineers, suppliers, researchers, materials scientists, and academics in the field of polymers, including current best practice, processing, and material selection information and health and safety guidance, along with discussions of sustainability and the commercial importance of various plastics and additives, including nanofillers and graphene as property modifiers. With a 50 year history as the principal reference in the field of plastics material, and fully updated by an expert team of polymer scientists and engineers, this book is essential reading for researchers and practitioners in this field. - Presents a one-stop-shop for easily accessible information on plastics materials, now updated to include the latest biopolymers, high temperature engineering plastics, thermoplastic elastomers, and more - Includes thoroughly revised and reorganised material as contributed by an expert team who make the book relevant to all plastics engineers, materials scientists, and students of polymers - Includes the latest guidance on health, safety, and sustainability, including materials safety data sheets, local regulations, and a discussion of recycling issues

This Handbook reviews the chemistry, manufacturing methods, properties and applications of the synthetic polymer foams used in most applications. In addition, a chapter is included on the fundamental principles, which apply to all polymer foams. There is also a chapter on the blowing agents used to expand polymers and a chapter is on microcellular foams - a relatively new development where applications are still being explored.