Application of polymer science

Cellulose is the most abundant natural polymer. Cellulose and its derivatives (cellulosics) have played an important role in developing and establishing the current concepts and industrial applications of polymer science. Current interests are based on their versatile properties, biodegradability, and status as a renewable resource (Fig. 1). 

Singh, H., and F. MacRitchie. 2001. Application of polymer science to properties of gluten. Journal of Cereal Science 33 231-243. 

Optoelectronic, Aerospace, Biomedical, and Computer Applications. As modem science and technology have expanded and diversified, so, too, have the applications of polymer science. For example, as researchers explored the electrical conductivity of various materials, they discovered polymers that have... 

Until recently, research work on the structure, properties and applications of proteins were mainly considered within the scientific field of Food Science. To reach a better understanding of properties and to define the potential applications of material proteins, it is essential to compare their structural features with those of chemically synthesised organic polymers used to produce plastic materials. Novel research on nonfood uses of agricultural resources, and especially on material proteins , has led to the application of Polymer Science concepts and tools to investigate the structure-function relationships of these macromolecular organisations. This involves ... 

I would like to emphasize that Professor Vogl was here particularly very much on the right track this particular topic of discussions is needed for preserving objects of art. Or in more general termsf the application of polymer science to art is so important that this topic should be established as the subject of a symposium or at least of a discussion/ at meetings of polymer science with high distinction. 

Dunn A S 1989 Polymerization in micelles and microemulsions Comprehensive Polymer Science—the Synthesis, Characterization, Reactions and Applications of Polymers vo 4, ed G C Eastmond, A Ledwith, S Russo and P Sigwalt (New York Pergamon) pp 219-24... 

The words basic concepts" in the title define what I mean by fundamental." This is the primary emphasis in this presentation. Practical applications of polymers are cited frequently—after all, it is these applications that make polymers such an important class of chemicals—but in overall content, the stress is on fundamental principles. Foundational" might be another way to describe this. I have not attempted to cover all aspects of polymer science, but the topics that have been discussed lay the foundstion—built on the bedrock of organic and physical chemistry—from which virtually all aspects of the subject are developed. There is an enormous literature in polymer science this book is intended to bridge the gap between the typical undergraduate background in polymers—which frequently amounts to little more than occasional relevant" examples in other courses—and the professional literature on the subject. 

Comprehensive Polymer Science, The Synthesis, Characterisation, Reactions and Applications of Polymers, Pergamon Press, Ltd., Oxford, U.K. 

C. P. on.. Application of Polymers in Encapsulation of Electronic Parts, Advances of Polymer Science, Vol. 84, Springer-Vedag, Berlin, 1988, pp. 63—83. 

R. J. Young, in Comprehensive Polymer Science The Synthesis, Characterization, Reactions and Application of Polymers, Vol. 2 Polymer Properties, Pergamon, New York, 1989. 

Our laboratory has planned the theoretical approach to those systems and their technological applications from the point of view that as electrochemical systems they have to follow electrochemical theories, but as polymeric materials they have to respond to the models of polymer science. The solution has been to integrate electrochemistry and polymer science.178 This task required the inclusion of the electrode structure inside electrochemical models. Apparently the task would be easier if regular and crystallographic structures were involved, but most of the electrogenerated conducting polymers have an amorphous and cross-linked structure. 

Palit S.R., Kar I. Polynomial expansion of log relative viscosity and its application to polymer solutions. Journal of Polymer Science Part A-1, 5,10 (1967) 2629-2636. 

It is most fortunate for the development of polymer science that these imagined complications have turned out to be almost wholly illusory. As will be brought out in the course of this chapter, the influence of molecular size and complexity on chemical reactivity may be disregarded in very nearly all polymer reactions. If this were not the case, application of the principles of reaction kinetics to polymerization and polymer degradation reactions would be difficult, and might be so complicated as to be fruitless. Not only would polymer reaction kinetics... 

A.R. Hillman, in Reactions and Applications of Polymer Modified Electrodes, Electrochemical Science and Technology of Polymers (R.G. Linford, ed.), Elsevier, London (1987), p. 241. 

Andrew Peacock is a Development Associate with Tredegar Film Products, Richmond, Virginia. Previously he worked as a Senior Research Chemist with Exxon Chemical Company, Baytown, Texas. Publications include the Handbook of Polyethylene - Structures, Properties and Applications , nine patents in the field of polymer science, and numerous journal articles. Dr. Peacock received a B. Sc. in Chemistry from the University of London, England, an M. Sc. in Polymer Science and Technology from Lancaster University, England and a Ph. D. in Chemistry from the University of Southampton, England. 

While a number of introductory or comprehensive texts dealing with polymer chemistry were written, the most influential was probably Paul J. Flory s textbook "Principles of Polymer Chemistry", published in 1954. No prior knowledge of polymers was assumed with particular chapters directed at the beginner. It also contained much information useful to the experienced investigator. A wealth of experimental data was included to illustrate the applicability of the presented concepts and conclusions. Admittedly missing are topics related to the mechanical properties of polymers and to the application of polymers in industry - i.e. fabrication, synthesis, etc. Even so Flory s text is a landmark book in science. 

Allcock, H. R. and Wood, R. M. 2006. Design and synthesis of ion-conductive polvphosphazenes for fuel cell applications Review. Journal of Polymer Science Part B 44 2358-2368. 

The previous chapters allowed the weaving of polymer science fundamentals and applications into a carpet necessary for those involved in the sciences, engineering, biology, and biomedicines to understand as they ply their trade. This chapter enhances the areas where an understanding of basic polymer principles is important as polymers are employed in many areas in today s society that is becoming increasingly dependent on polymeric materials. 

Tailor-made macromolecules have come into the focus of polymer science to overcome the challenges of a number of complex applications from the nano to the macro scale. Materials scientists have been designing and synthesizing tailor-made macromolecules specific for each application. These materials are composed of different monomeric units, chemical functionalities, and topologies. The challenge has been to control precisely the position of the functionality on the polymer, to determine the necessary ratio of monomeric units, as well as to understand the effect of the molecular architecture on the material performance. 

Aliphatic polyesters occupy a key position in the field of polymer science because they exhibit the remarkable properties of biodegradability and biocompatibihty, which opens up a wide range of applications as environmentally friendly thermoplastics and biomaterials. Three different mechanisms of polymerization can be implemented to synthesize aliphatic polyesters (1) the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic ketene acetals, (2) the step-growth polymerization of lactones, and (3) the ROP of lactones (Fig. 1). 

Unfortunately, the naming of polymers has not proceeded in a systematic manner until relatively late in the development of polymer science. It is not at all unusual of a polymer to have several names because of the use of different nomenclature systems. The nomenclature systems that have been used are based on either the structure of the polymer or the source of the polymer [i.e., the monomer(s) used in its synthesis] or trade names. Not only have there been several different nomenclature systems, but their application has not always been rigorous. An important step toward standardization was initiated in the 1970s by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. 

Wallace Carothers and coworkers at DuPont synthesized aliphatic polyesters in the 1930s [Furukawa, 1998 Hounshell and Smith, 1988]. These had melting points below 100°C, which made them unsuitable for firber use. Carothers then turned successfully to polyamides, based on the theoretical consideration that amides melt higher than esters. Polyamides were the first synthetic fibers to be produced commercially. The polyester and polyamide research at DuPont had a major impact on all of polymer science. Carothers laid the foundation for much of our understanding of how to synthesize polymeric materials. Out of that work came other discoveries in the late 1930s, including neoprene, an elastomer produced from chloro-prene, and Teflon, produced from tetrafluoroethylene. The initial commercial application for nylon 6/6 was women s hosiery, but this was short-lived with the intrusion of World War II. The entire nylon 6/6 production was allocated to the war effort in applications for parachutes, tire cord, sewing thread, and rope. The civilian applications for nylon products burst forth and expanded rapidly after the war. 

Quirk, R. P, Anionic Polymerization, in Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 4th ed., Vol. 14, pp. 461-476, Wiley, New York, 1995 Applications of Anionic Polymerization Research, Am. Chem. Soc. Symp. Ser., Vol. 686, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 1998 Anionic Polymerization, in Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology (online version), Wiley-VCH, New York, 2002. 

Booth C, Price C, editors. Comprehensive polymer science the synthesis, characterization, reactions, and applications of polymers. Volume 2, polymer properties. Oxford, UK Pergamon Press 1989. 

Figure 5.128 Common applications of polymers as soft biologies. Reprinted, by permission, from S. A. Visser, R. W. Hergenrother, and S. L. Cooper, in Biomaterials Science, B. D. Ratner, A. S. Hoffman, F. J. Schoen, and J. E. Lemons, eds., p. 57. Copyright 1996 by Academic Press.

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