The commercial use of polymers in plastics, elastomers, coatings and adhesives almost always involves the use of additives to enhance their properties. Thousands of years natural polymers have been blended with naturally occurring fillers, fibers and many other substances. In this century, the development of synthetic polymers has led to the development of high performance polymer composites. This volume is the only text describing origin and use of additives and their function in polymeric composites. A panel of outstanding specialists in the field of additives have placed this in a historic perspective. Apart from this, up-to-date information on all fillers, reinforcing agents, stabilizers, plasticizers, flame retardants, accelerators, etc. can be found in the volume.

Part of the new concepts in Polymer science series, an overview of Polymeric Composites, by an author who is part of the Department of Polymer Science at the University of Southern Mississippi.

There are many books available on polymer chemistry, properties, and processing, but they do not focus on the practicalities of selecting and using them correctly in the design of structures. Engineering students require an understanding of polymers and composites as well as viscoelasticity, adhesion, damping applications, and tribology in order to successfully integrate these materials into their designs. Based on more than twenty years of classroom experience, Engineering Design with Polymers and Composites is the first textbook to unite these topics in a single source. The authors take a bottom-up functional approach rather than a top-down analytical approach to design. This unique perspective enables students to select the proper materials for the application rather than force the design to suit the materials. The text begins with an introduction to polymers and composites, including historical background. Detailed coverage of mechanical properties, viscoelastic behavior of polymers, composite materials, creep and fatigue failure, impact, and related properties follows. Discussion then turns to selection of materials, design applications of polymers, polymer processing, adhesion, tribology, and damping and isolation. Abundant examples, homework problems, tables, and illustrations reinforce the concepts. Accompanied by a CD-ROM containing materials databases, examples in Excel®, and a laminate analysis program, Engineering Design with Polymers and Composites builds a strong background in the underlying concepts necessary for engineering students to successfully incorporate polymers and composites into their designs.

This book introduces the engineer to fibers and polymer matrices, which are the components of the polymer composites for structural engineering. The authors also provide a simple guide, in tabular form, to the principal fabrication techniques, the basic design formulae, and the methods for structural composites systems and connections.

This unique multidisciplinary 8-volume set focuses on the emerging issues concerning synthesis, characterization, design, manufacturing and various other aspects of composite materials from renewable materials and provides a shared platform for both researcher and industry. The Handbook of Composites from Renewable Materials comprises a set of 8 individual volumes that brings an interdisciplinary perspective to accomplish a more detailed understanding of the interplay between the synthesis, structure, characterization, processing, applications and performance of these advanced materials. The Handbook comprises 169 chapters from world renowned experts covering a multitude of natural polymers/ reinforcement/ fillers and biodegradable materials. Volume 6 is solely focused on the "Polymeric Composites". Some of the important topics include but not limited to: Keratin as renewable material for developing polymer composites; natural and synthetic matrices; hydrogels in tissue engineering; smart hydrogels: application in bioethanol production; principle renewable biopolymers; application of hydrogel biocomposites for multiple drug delivery; nontoxic holographic materials; bioplasticizer-epoxidized vegetable oils-based poly (lactic acid) blends and nanocomposites; preparation, characterization and adsorption properties of poly (DMAEA) – cross-linked starch gel copolymer in wastewater treatments; study of chitosan cross-linking hydrogels for absorption of antifungal drugs using molecular modelling; pharmaceutical delivery systems composed of chitosan; eco-friendly polymers for food packaging; influence of surface modification on the thermal stability and percentage of crystallinity of natural abaca fiber; influence of the use of natural fibers in composite materials assessed on a life cycle perspective; plant polysaccharides-blended ionotropically-gelled alginate multiple-unit systems for sustained drug release; vegetable oil based polymer composites; applications of chitosan derivatives in wastewater treatment; novel lignin-based materials as a products for various applications; biopolymers from renewable resources and thermoplastic starch matrix as polymer units of multi-component polymer systems for advanced applications; chitosan composites: preparation and applications in removing water pollutants and recent advancements in biopolymer composites for addressing environmental issues.

The synthetic counterparts of natural polymeric materials are now finding applications as light weight, mechanically strong, and environmentally stable sheets, fibers, films, adhesives, paints, and foams have replaced most of the commodity and structural materials. The systematic research on the preparation, characterization, and utilization of plastics resulted in creation of polymers often containing a set of several desirable properties in a single polymer. The polymers have established their place in engineering applications as well. Although the bulk of plastics production focuses on relatively simple commodity polymers, the proportion of specially designed and tailor-made plastics for specific and sophisticated applications is also increasing at a great pace. The specialty plastics, as well as their use in specific and sophisticated applications, are the key to the continued scientific growth and technological advances in the new millennium. This book thoroughly covers today's rapidly growing field of specialty polymers and their applications in more sophisticated and specialized areas. It gives the most recent in-depth knowledge and extremely comprehensive details of the chemistry, physics, material science, technology, and device applications of specialty polymers. This comprehensive book containing 16 chapters is the result of the untiring efforts of 35 most renowned experts from the national and international scientific community. This book is thought-provoking to the researchers working in the fields of chemistry, biochemistry, biotechnology, medicine, polymer chemistry, semiconductor physics, material science, electrochemistry, biology, electronics, photonics, material science, solid state physics, nanotechnology, electrical and electronics engineering, optical engineering, device engineering, data storage, etc.

Finite Element Analysis of Polymers and its Composites offers up-to-date and significant findings on the finite element analysis of polymers and its composite materials. It is important to point out, that to date, there are no books that have been published in this concept. Thus, academicians, researchers, scientists, engineers, and students in the similar field will benefit from this highly application-oriented book. This book summarizes the experimental, mathematical and numerical analysis of polymers and its composite materials through finite element method. It provides detailed and comprehensive information on mechanical properties, fatigue and creep behaviour, thermal behaviour, vibrational analysis, testing methods and their modeling techniques. In addition, this book lists the main industrial sectors in which polymers and its composite materials simulation is used, and their gains from it, including aeronautics, medical, aerospace, automotive, naval, energy, civil, sports, manufacturing and even electronics. Expands knowledge about the finite element analysis of polymers and composite materials to broaden application range Presents an extensive survey of recent developments in research Offers advancements of finite element analysis of polymers and composite materials Written by leading experts in the field Provides cutting-edge, up-to-date research on the characterization, analysis, and modeling of polymeric composite materials

Fusion bonding is one of the three methods available for joining composite and dissimilar materials. While the other two, mechanical fastening and adhesion bonding, have been the subject of wide coverage both in textbooks and monographs, fusion bonding is covered here substantially for the first time. Fusion bonding offers a number of advantages over traditional joining techniques and it is anticipated that its use will increase dramatically in the future because of the rise in the use of thermoplastic matrix composites and the growing necessity for recyclability of engineering assemblies. Fusion Bonding of Polymer Composites provides an in-depth understanding of the physical mechanisms involved in the fusion bonding process, covering such topics as: - heat transfer in fusion bonding; - modelling thermal degradation; - consolidation mechanisms; - crystallisation kinetics; - processing-microstructure-property relationship; - full-scale fusion bonding; - fusion bonding of thermosetting composite/thermoplastic composite and metal/thermoplastic joints. The book focuses on one practical case study using the resistance welding process. This example exposes the reader to the development of processing windows for a novel manufacturing process including the use of experimental test programmes and modelling strategies.