This book offers concise information on the properties of polymeric materials, particularly those most relevant to physical chemistry and chemical physics. Extensive updates and revisions to each chapter include eleven new chapters on novel polymeric structures, reinforcing phases in polymers, and experiments on single polymer chains. The study of complex materials is highly interdisciplinary, and new findings are scattered among a large selection of scientific and engineering journals. This book brings together data from experts in the different disciplines contributing to the rapidly growing area of polymers and complex materials.

This is a fully revised and up-dated edition of the popular book 'Surface Coatings' first published in 1985. The book provides a comprehensive overview of all aspects of coating technology including composition, preparation and application, and the parameters controlling their ultimate performance. Techniques in their infancy at the time of the first edition, such as the synthesis of industrial resins, have now been developed and their applications are discussed here in detail. The basic principles of paint formulation have been revised and an extra section has been added on new technologies. The new sections have been written by experts working in the industry which gives the book a new dimension; covering both theoretical and practical aspects of the state-of-the-art. The editor has extensive experience in the surface coating field and runs his own research and development company specializing in the chemistry of surface coatings, adhesives and polymeric materials.

Polymeric Gels: Characterization, Properties and Biomedical Applications covers the fundamentals and applications of polymeric gels. Particular emphasis is given to their synthesis, properties and characteristics, with topics such as natural, synthetic, and smart polymeric gels, medical applications, and advancements in conductive and magnetic gels presented. The book covers the basics and applications of hydrogels, providing readers with a comprehensive guide on the types of polymeric gels used in the field of biomedical engineering. - Provides guidance for decisions on the suitability and appropriateness of a synthetic route and characterization technique for particular polymeric networks - Analyzes and compares experimental data - Presents in-depth information on the physical properties of polymeric gels using mathematical models - Uses an interdisciplinary approach to discuss potential new applications for both established polymeric gels and recent advances

This book addresses a range of synthesis and characterization techniques that are critical for tailoring and broadening the various aspects of polymer gels, as well as the numerous advantages that polymer gel-based materials offer. It presents a comprehensive collection of chapters on the recent advances and developments in the science and fundamentals of both synthetic and natural polymer-based gels. Topics covered include: synthesis and structure of physically/chemically cross-linked polymer-gels/polymeric nanogels; gel formation through non-covalent cross-linking; molecular design and characterization; polysaccharide-based polymer gels: synthesis, characterization, and properties; modified polysaccharide gels: silica-based polymeric gels as platforms for the delivery of pharmaceuticals; gel-based approaches in genomic and proteomic sciences; emulgels in drug delivery; and organogels. The book provides a cutting-edge resource for researchers and scientists working in various fields involving polymers, biomaterials, bio-nanotechnology and functional materials.

Presenting a unique perspective on state-of-the-art physical gels, this interdisciplinary guide provides a complete, critical analysis of the field and highlights recent developments. It shows the interconnections between the key aspects of gels, from molecules and structure through to rheological and functional properties, with each chapter focusing on a different class of gel. There is also a final chapter covering innovative systems and applications, providing the information needed to understand current and future practical applications of gels in the pharmaceutical, agricultural, cosmetic, chemical and food industries. Many research teams are involved in the field of gels, including theoreticians, experimentalists and chemical engineers, but this interdisciplinary book collates and rationalises the many different points of view to provide a clear understanding of these complex systems for researchers and graduate students.

This volume contains a series of papers originally presented at the Symposium on Polymer Gels organized and sponsored by the Research Group on Polymer Gels,The Society of Polymer Science of Japan and co-sponsored by the Science and Technology Agency (ST A) and MIT!, Japan. The Symposium took place at Tsukuba Science City on 18th and 19th September, 1989. Recognized experts in their fields were invited to speak and there was a strong attendance from government, academic and industrial research centers. The purpose of the Symposium was to review the state of the art and to present and discuss recent progress in the understanding of the behavioral properties of polymer gels and their application to biomedical, environmental and robotic fields. Most of the papers and related discussions concentrated on the swelling behavior of hydrogels and chemomechanical systems, both artificial and naturally occurring, in which external stimuli of a physical or chemical nature control energy transformation or signal transduction. The recent great interest in chemomechanical systems based on polymer gels has stimulated considerable effort towards the development of new sensors and actuators, controllable membrane separation processes, and delivery systems in which the functions of sensing, processing and actuation are all built into the polymeric network device. Artificial chemomechanical systems, through the use of environmentally sensitive polymer gels, are emerging as interesting materials for mimicking basic processes previously only confined to the biological world, and commercially viable applications are also foreseen in the not-too-distant future.

Explains the correlation between the physical properties and structure of polymer gels This book elucidates in detail the physics of polymer gels and reviews their unique properties that make them attractive for innumerable applications. Geared towards experienced researchers and entrants to the field, it covers rubber elasticity, swelling and shrinking, deformation and fracture of as well as mass transport in polymer gels, enabling the readers to purposefully design polymer gels fit for specific purposes. Divided into two parts, Physics of Polymer Gels starts by explaining the statistical mechanics and scaling of a polymer chains, and that of polymer solutions. It then introduces the structure of polymer gels and explains the rubber elasticity, which predicts the solid-like nature of polymer gels. Next, it describes swelling/deswelling, which can be understood by combining the rubber elasticity and the osmotic pressure of a polymer solution. Large deformation and fracture, and the diffusion of substances in polymer gels, which are essential for practical applications, are also introduced. The last half of the book contains the authors' experimental results using Tetra-PEG gels and provides readers with the opportunity to examine and compare it with the first half in order to understand how to utilize the models to experiments. This title: * Is the first book dedicated to the physics of polymer gels * Describes in detail the properties of polymer gels and their underlying physics, facilitating the development of novel, polymer gel-based applications * Serves as a reference for all relevant polymer gel properties and their underlying physics * Provides a unified treatment of the subject, explaining the physical properties of polymer gels within a common nomenclature framework Physics of Polymer Gels is a must-have book for experienced researchers, such as polymer chemists, materials scientists, organic chemists, physical chemists, and solid-state physicists, as well as for newcomers to the field.

The contents have been divided into sections on physical states of polymers and characterization techniques. Chapters on physical states include discussions of the rubber elastic state, the glassy state, melts and concentrated solutions, the crystalline state, and the mesomorphic state. Characterization techniques described are molecular spectroscopy and scattering techniques.

Manufactured foodstuffs typically exist in the form of complex, multi-phase, multi-component, colloidal systems. One way to try to make sense of their chemical and structural complexity is to study simple model systems in which the nature and properties of the polymer molecules and dispersed particles are relatively well known. This volume consists of a collection of papers delivered at a conference on food colloids, the main theme of which was the role of food macromolecules in determining the stability, structure, texture and rheology of food colloids, with particular reference to gelling behaviour and interactions between macromolecules and interfaces. A feature of the collection is the wide range of physico-chemical techniques now being used to address problems in this field.

Hydrogels Based on Natural Polymers presents the latest research on natural polymer-based hydrogels, covering fundamentals, preparation methods, synthetic pathways, advanced properties, major application areas, and novel characterization techniques. The advantages and disadvantages of each natural polymer-based hydrogel are also discussed, enabling preparation tactics for specific properties and applications. Sections cover fundamentals, development, characteristics, structures and properties. Additional chapters cover presentation methods and properties based on natural polymers, including physical and chemical properties, stimuli-responsive properties, self-healing properties, and biological properties. The final section presents major applications areas, including the biomedical field, agriculture, water treatments, and the food industry. This is a highly valuable resource for academic researchers, scientists and advanced students working with hydrogels and natural polymers, as well as across the fields of polymer science, polymer chemistry, plastics engineering, biopolymers and biomaterials. The detailed information will also be of great interest to scientists and R&D professionals, product designers, technicians and engineers across industries. - Provides systematic coverage of all aspects of hydrogels based on natural polymers, including fundamentals, preparation methods, properties and characterization - Offers a balanced assessment of the specific properties and possibilities offered by different natural polymer-based hydrogels, drawing on innovative research - Examines cutting-edge applications across biomedicine, agriculture, water treatments, and the food industry