Modern Polyesters: Chemistry and Technology of Polyesters and Copolyesters

Dr. John Scheirs has worked extensively with poly (ethyleneterephthalate) (PET) and related polyesters. His early workinvolved studying the UV stability of PET and poly(ethylenenaphthalate) (PEN) in France and later he was involved withstudying various industrial problems involving polyesters, such asphotodegradation, annealing, crystallization behaviour,embrittlement, degradation by aminolysis, differential scanningcalorimetry (DSC) analysis, environmental stress cracking,hydrolysis, nucleating agents, transesterification, injectionmoulding of recycled PET compounds, solid-state polycondensation,desiccant drying of PET and melt stabilization of PET. Morerecently in the period 1998-2000, he was the technical manager forCoca-Cola Amatil’s world-first PET reforming plant whichconverts post-consumer PET bottles into high-grade, high IVpalletized PET for direct reuse in new bottles and injection andsheet moulding applications. John Scheirs is now the principalconsultant with ExcelPlas Polymer Technology where he specializesin polymer recycling chemistry, formulation, processing andtesting.

Dr. Timothy E. Long is a professor in the Department ofChemistry and the Macromolecular Science and Engineering Program atVirginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA, USA. Professor Long was employedat Eastman Kodak and Eastman Chemical for 12 years prior to joiningthe faculty at Virginia Tech in 1999. He has extensive industrialand academic experience in fundamental macromolecular chemistry,with an awareness of the industrial and commercial impact ofpolyester chemistry and processing, structure-propertyrelationships. And polyester applications. His research interestsinclude polyester ionomers, high-gas-barrier polyester forpackaging, new polyester catalyst development. Thermotropic liquidcrystalline polyesters, functional poly(lactides), and branched andhyperbranced polyesters. He is the author of over 100 refereedpapers and holds 25 patents dealing with various aspects ofmacromolecular science and engineering.