Specialty Polymers

R. W. DYSON There will be few readers of this book who are not aware of the contribution that polymers make to modern life. They are to be seen around the home, at work, in transport and in leisure pursuits. They take many forms which include plastic mouldings and extrusions, plastic film and sheet, plastic laminates (fibreglass and formica), rubber gloves, hoses, tyres and sealing rings, fibres for textiles and carpets and so on, cellular products for cushioning and thermal insulation, adhesives and coating materials such as paints and varnishes. The majority of these polymers are synthetic and are derived from oil products. The most important of these in terms of tonnage used are polymers based upon styrene, vinyl chloride, ethylene, propylene and butadiene among plastics and rubber materials, and nylons, polyethyleneterephthalate and poly acrylonitrile among fibres. The total amount of these polymers used each year runs into millions of tonnes. These polymers are sometimes known as commodity polymers because they are used for everyday artefacts. They are available in many grades and formats to meet a variety of applications and processing techniques. The properties can be adjusted by using additives such as heat and light stabilizers, plasticizers, and reinforcing materials. Often, grades are specially designed and formulated to meet particular requirements and, in a sense, these might be regarded as specialities. Much has been written about these materials elsewhere and they are not the concern of this book.

Zusammenfassung
about the first edition
`This is a book well worth having on your shelves. The book is so well contrived and presented that I am greedy for information from the publishers for books on other aspects of polymer technology.'
Plastics and Rubber International

Inhalt
1 Polymer structures and general properties.- 1.1 Introduction.- 1.2 Polymer structures.- 1.3 Morphology and softening behaviour.- 1.4 Amorphous polymers and softening behaviour.- 1.5 Semi-crystalline polymers and softening behaviour.- 1.6 Molecular weight.- 1.7 Copolymers.- 1.8 Chemical behaviour.- 1.9 Solubility.- 1.10 Electrical properties.- 1.11 Conclusion.- Further reading.- 2 Polymerization.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 Addition polymerization.- 2.3 Step-growth polymerization.- 2.4 Copolymer formation.- 2.5 Chemical conversion.- 2.6 Polyblends.- 2.7 Conclusion.- 3 High-temperature and fire resistant polymers.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 The need for thermally resistant polymers.- 3.3 Improving low-performance polymers for high-temperature use.- 3.4 The need for fire resistant polymers.- 3.5 Polymers for low fire-hazards.- 3.6 Polymers for high-temperature resistance.- 3.7 Heterocyclic polymers.- Further reading.- 4 Hydrophilic polymers.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Natural polymers.- 4.3 Semisynthetic polymers.- 4.4 Synthetic polymers.- 4.5 Superabsorbent polymers.- Further reading.- 5 Polymers with electrical and electronic properties.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Conducting polymers.- 5.3 Photoconducting polymers.- 5.4 Polymers in optoelectronics.- 5.5 Polymers with piezoelectric, pyroelectric and ferroelectric properties.- 5.6 Photoresists for semiconductor fabrication.- 5.7 Summary and conclusions.- References.- 6 Ionic layers.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Classification.- 6.3 Synthesis.- 6.4 Physical properties and applications.- 6.5 Ionomers based on polyethylene.- 6.6 Elastomeric ionomers.- 6.7 Ionomers based on polystyrene.- 6.8 Ionomers based on polytetrafluoroethylene.- 6.9 Ionomer with polyaromatic backbones.- 6.10 Polyelectrolytes for ion exchange.- 6.11 Polyelectrolytes based on carboxylates.- 6.12 Polymers with integral ions.- 6.13 Polyelectrolyte complexes.- 6.14 Blends of polymers and salts.- 6.15 Biological and inorganic ionic polymers.- 6.16 Conclusions.- References.- 7 Liquid crystal polymers.- 7.1 Introduction to thermotropie liquid crystals.- 7.2 Liquid crystal polymers.- 7.3 The structure of side-group liquid crystal polymers.- 7.4 Elastomeric liquid crystal polymers.- 7.5 Laterally attached liquid crystal side-group polymers.- 7.6 Cyclic polysiloxanes.- 7.7 Applications of side-group liquid polymers.- 7.8 In situ photopolymerization.- References.- 8 Structural polymers.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 Introduction to composites.- 8.3 Thermosets.- 8.4 Thermoplastics.- 8.5 Recent and future directions.- Further reading.