This book is a collection of 22 per-reviewed scientific papers on the synthesis and characterization of polyurethanes with special chemical and physical properties. In our "plastic age", polyurethanes are one of the most versatile polymers with broad and excellent mechanical and chemical properties. These polyurethanes can be found in many areas of our every day`s life ranging from insulators through hard and soft foams to various biomedical devices. The huge number of possible variations in the types of reactants allows the scientists to design and tailor the properties of polyurethanes to specific needs. The fascinating chemistry and materials science of polyurethanes have attracted interests of many scientists. As a result, the progress in this field made by these scholars are summarized in this book with special emphasizes on the structure-property relationships and biomedical applications of polyurethanes as well as their environmental aspects are also highlighted in some papers. Thus, this collection of papers is recommended to all readers who are interested not only in the synthesis and properties of polyurethanes but want to be familiar with the theoretical description of their formation as well.
This book extensively reviews Polypropylene (PP), the second most widely produced thermoplastic material, having been produced for over 60 years. Its synthesis, processing and application are still accompanied by vigorous R&D developments because the properties of PP are at the borderline between those of commodity and engineering thermoplastics. Readers are introduced to various tacticities and polymorphs of PP, and their effects on structural properties. Further, the book addresses the control of optical properties using nucleants, provides strategies for overcoming the limited cold/impact resistance of PP, examines in detail the effects of recycling, and presents guidelines for the property modification of PPs through foaming, filling and reinforcing with respect to target applications. Special attention is paid to descriptions and models of properties as a function of morphological variables. Last but not least, the book suggests potential practical applications of PP-based systems, especially in the packaging, appliances, building/construction, textile and automotive sectors. Each chapter, written by internationally respected scientists, reflects the current state-of-art in the respective field and offers a vital source of information for students, researchers and engineers interested in the morphology, properties, testing and modeling of PP and PP-based systems. The content is indispensable to the appropriate application of PPs and related composites.
Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are some of the most important and valuable engineering materials developed in the last 25 years. These fascinating materials demonstrate remarkably versatile properties-including capacity for actuation and stimulus responsiveness-that are enabling technologists to develop applications used to explore everything from th
Recycling of Polymers This timely reference on the topic is the only book you need for a complete overview of recyclable polymers. Following an introduction to various polymer structures and their resulting properties, the main part of the book deals with different methods of recycling. It discusses in detail the recycling of such common polymers as polyethylene, polypropylene and PET, as well as rubbers, fibers, engineering polymers, polymer blends and composites. The whole is rounded off with a look at future technologies and the toxicological impact of recycled polymers. An indispensable reference source for those working in the field, whether in academia or industry, and whether newcomers or advanced readers.
The first systematic reference on the topic with an emphasis on the characteristics and dimension of the reinforcement. This first of three volumes, authored by leading researchers in the field from academia, government, industry, as well as private research institutions around the globe, focuses on macro and micro composites. Clearly divided into three sections, the first offers an introduction to polymer composites, discussing the state of the art, new challenges, and opportunities of various polymer composite systems, as well as preparation and manufacturing techniques. The second part looks at macro systems, with an emphasis on fiber reinforced polymer composites, textile composites, and polymer hybrid composites. Likewise, the final section deals with micro systems, including micro particle reinforced polymer composites, the synthesis, surface modification and characterization of micro particulate fillers and flakes as well as filled polymer micro composites, plus applications and the recovery, recycling and life cycle analysis of synthetic polymeric composites.
Shape-memory polymers (SMP) are a unique branch of the smart materials family which are capable of changing shape on-demand upon exposure to external stimulus. The discovery of SMP made a significant breakthrough in the developments of novel smart materials for a variety of engineering applications, superseded the traditional materials, and also influenced the current methods of product designing. This book provides the latest advanced information of on-going research domains of SMP. This will certainly enlighten the reader to the achievements and tremendous potentials of SMP. The basic fundamentals of SMP, including shape-memory mechanisms and mechanics are described. This will aid reader to become more familiar with SMP and the basic concepts, thus guiding them in undergoing independent research in the SMP field. The book also provides the reader with associated challenges and existing application problems of SMP. This could assist the reader to focus more on these issues and further exploit their knowledge to look for innovative solutions. Future outlooks of SMP research are discussed as well. This book should prove to be extremely useful for academics, R&D managers, researcher scientists, engineers, and all others related to the SMP research.
The study and application of composite materials are a truly interdisciplinary endeavour that has been enriched by contributions from chemistry, physics, materials science, mechanics and manufacturing engineering. The understanding of the interface (or interphase) in composites is the central point of this interdisciplinary effort. From the early development of composite materials of various nature, the optimization of the interface has been of major importance. While there are many reference books available on composite materials, few of them deal specifically with the science and mechanics of the interface of fiber reinforced composites. Further, many recent advances devoted solely to research in composite interfaces have been scattered in a variety of published literature and have yet to be assembled in a readily accessible form. To this end this book is an attempt to bring together recent developments in the field, both from the materials science and mechanics perspective, in a single convenient volume.The central theme of the book is tailoring the interface properties to optimise the mechanical peformance and structural integrity of composites with enhanced strength/stiffness and fracture toughness (or specific fracture resistance). It deals mainly with interfaces in advanced composites made from high performance fibers, such as glass, carbon, aramid, ultra high modulus polyethylene and some inorganic (e.g. B/W, A12O3, SiC) fibers, and matrix materials encompassing polymers, metals/alloys and ceramics. The book is intended to provide a comprehensive treatment of composite interfaces in such a way that it should be of interest to materials scientists, technologists and practising engineers, as well as graduate students and their supervisors in advanced composites. We hope that this book will also serve as a valuable source of reference to all those involved in the design and research of composite interfaces.The book contains eight chapters of discussions on microstructure-property relationships with underlying fundamental mechanics principles. In Chapter 1, an introduction is given to the nature and definition of interfaces in fiber reinforced composites. Chapter 2 is devoted to the mechanisms of adhesion which are specific to each fiber-matrix system, and the physio-chemical characterization of the interface with regard to the origin of adhesion. The experimental techniques that have been developed to assess the fiber-matrix interface bond quality on a microscopic scale are presented in Chapter 3, along with the techniques of measuring interlaminar/intralaminar strengths and fracture toughness using bulk composite laminates. The applicability and limitations associated with loading geometry and interpretation of test data are compared. Chapter 4 presents comprehensive theoretical analyses based on shear-lag models of the single fiber composite tests, with particular interest being placed on the interface debond process and the nature of the fiber-matrix interfacial bonding. Chapter 5 is devoted to reviewing current techniques of fiber surface treatments which have been devised to improve the bond strength and the fiber-matrix compatibility/stability during the manufacturing processes of composites. The micro-failure mechanisms and their associated theories of fracture toughness of composites are discussed in Chapter 6. The roles of the interface and its effects on the mechanical performance of fiber composites are addressed from several viewpoints. Recent research efforts to augment the transverse and interlaminar fracture toughness by means of controlled interfaces are presented in Chapters 7 and 8.
Bioresorbable implants can be processed via conventional polymer processing methods such as extrusion, injection and compressing moulding, solvent spinning or casting. This book addresses issues and highlights recent advances in the use of biodegradable polymers. It is intended for researchers utilizing biodegradable polymers in areas from tissue engineering to controlled release of active pharmaceuticals, as well as industrial processors.
Micropolar fluids are fluids with microstructure. They belong to a class of fluids with nonsymmetric stress tensor that we shall call polar fluids, and include, as a special case, the well-established Navier-Stokes model of classical fluids that we shall call ordinary fluids. Physically, micropolar fluids may represent fluids consisting of rigid, randomly oriented (or spherical) particles suspended in a viscous medium, where the deformation of fluid particles is ignored. The model of micropolar fluids introduced in [65] by C. A. Eringen is worth studying as a very well balanced one. First, it is a well-founded and significant generalization of the classical Navier-Stokes model, covering, both in theory and applications, many more phenomena than the classical one. Moreover, it is elegant and not too complicated, in other words, man ageable to both mathematicians who study its theory and physicists and engineers who apply it. The main aim of this book is to present the theory of micropolar fluids, in particular its mathematical theory, to a wide range of readers. The book also presents two applications of micropolar fluids, one in the theory of lubrication and the other in the theory of porous media, as well as several exact solutions of particular problems and a numerical method. We took pains to make the presentation both clear and uniform.
