The international symposium “POLYCONDENSATION 2002” (15-18 September, in Hamburg, Germany) was the 4th meeting of a series launched in Paris 1996. This symposium covered topics such as: New theories New synthetic methods Block copolymers Hyperbranched polymers Liquid crystalline polymers Properties and application This book contains (oral) contributions of the symposium.

This report begins by summarising the basis of polymer blending. This includes an outline of the techniques being used to characterise blends including spectroscopic techniques and rheometry. The types of polymer blends which have been studied are outlined. Methods of compatibilisation are discussed. The morphology of the phases in a blend is critical to property development - the types of morphology observed are described. Flow-induced morphology is described. Processing of blends and the effects on morphology are discussed including extrusion, thermoforming, blow moulding, injection moulding and foaming. The accompanying abstracts from the Rapra Polymer Library database provide useful further information and indicate sources of additional material.

Liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) have a wide range of uses, from strong engineering plastics to delicate gels for use in liquid crystal (LC) displays. For this reason, it is essential reading for materials scientists, engineers or technologists in industry, as well as research laboratories or academia. An additional indexed section containing several hundred abstracts from the Rapra Polymer Library database gives useful references for further reading.

This report presents an overview of the chemical analysis of thermosets. Materials based on thermosets present the analyst with considerable challenges due to their complexity and the wide range of polymer types and additives available. This review sets out to present an introduction to the analytical techniques and methods that are used to characterise and carry out quality control work on thermosets, investigate the failure of thermosets products and to deformulate thermoset compounds. The review is accompanied by around 400 abstracts from papers and books in the Rapra Polymer Library database, to facilitate further reading on this subject.

This book reviews several domains of polymer science, especially new trends in polymerization synthesis, physical-chemical properties, and inorganic systems. Composites and nanocomposites are also covered in this book, emphasizing nanotechnologies and their impact on the enhancement of physical and mechanical properties of these new materials. Kinetics and simulation are discussed and also considered as promising techniques for achieving chemistry and predicting physical property goals. This book presents a selection of interdisciplinary papers on the state of knowledge of each topic under consideration through a combination of overviews and original unpublished research.

The 10th IUPAC International Symposium on Macromolecule-Metal Complexes (MMC-10) took place from May 18-23, 2003 in a boat traveling from Moscow along the Volga river. Areas presented included several basic and applied topics in the field of advanced MMC. Presented were the latest results in the fundamental aspects of: Macromolecule metal complexes (synthesis, structure, properties) Electron and photonic transfer Catalysis and separation processes Supramolecules Dendrimers Molecular recognition Metal ion conductive polymers Environmental application of MMC were widely discussed.

Combines topics discussing the state of art, analysis of processes successfully implemented in industrial practice, ideas concerning production with recycling in mind, and the new research developments offering practical solutions for recycling industry and product manufacturers. The major emphasis is given to polyolefins, polyethylene terephthalate, PVC, and rubber. Materials concerned include films, bottles, packing materials, paper, car batteries, plastics used in car interiors, tires, etc.

To understand Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the major thrusts of present-day clinical research, strongly supported by more fimdamental cellular, biochemical, immunological and structural studies. It is these latter that receive attention within this book. This compilation of 20 chapters indicates the diversity of work currently in progress and summarizes the current state of knowledge. Experienced authors who are scientifically active in their fields of study have been selected as contributors to this book, in an attempt to present a reasonably complete survey of the field. Inevitably, some exciting topics for one reason or another have not been included, for which we can only apologize. Standardization of terminology is often a problem in science, not least in the Alzheimer field; editorial effort has been made to achieve standardization between the Chapters, but some minor yet acceptable personal / author variation is still present, i. e. P-amyloid/amyloid-P; Ap42/Apl-42/APi. 42! The book commences with a broad survey of the contribution that the range of available microscopical techniques has made to the study of Alzheimer's amyloid plaques and amyloid fibrillogenesis. This chapter also serves as an Introduction to the book, since several of the topics introduced here are expanded upon in later chapters. Also, it is significant to the presence of this chapter that the initial discovery of brain plaques, by Alois Alzheimer, utilized light microscopy, a technique that continues to be extremely valuable in present-day AD research.

These contribution books collect reviews and original articles from eminent experts working in the interdisciplinary arena of biomaterial development and use. From their direct and recent experience, the readers can achieve a wide vision on the new and ongoing potentialities of different synthetic and engineered biomaterials. Contributions were selected not based on a direct market or clinical interest, but based on results coming from very fundamental studies. This too will allow to gain a more general view of what and how the various biomaterials can do and work for, along with the methodologies necessary to design, develop and characterize them, without the restrictions necessarily imposed by industrial or profit concerns. The chapters have been arranged to give readers an organized view of this research area. In particular, this book contains 25 chapters related to recent researches on new and known materials, with a particular attention to their physical, mechanical and chemical characterization, along with biocompatibility and hystopathological studies. Readers will be guided inside the range of disciplines and design methodologies used to develope biomaterials possessing the physical and biological properties needed for specific medical and clinical applications.