Introduction to Polymer Science and Chemistry: A Problem-Solving Approach

With such a wide diversity of properties and applications, is it any wonder that industry and academia have such a fascination with polymers? A solid introduction to such an enormous and important field is critical to the modern polymer scientist-to-be, but most of the available books do not stress practical problem solving or include recent advances. Serving as the polymer book for the new millennium, Introduction to Polymer Science and Chemistry: A Problem Solving Approach unites the fundamentals of polymer science and polymer chemistry in a seamless presentation.

Emphasizing polymerization kinetics, the author uses a unique question-and-answer approach when developing theory or introducing new concepts. The first four chapters introduce polymer science, focusing on physical and molecular properties, solution behavior, and molecular weights. The remainder of the book explores polymer chemistry, devoting individual, self-contained chapters to the main types of polymerization reactions: condensation; free radical; ionic; coordination; and ring-opening. It introduces recent advances such as supramolecular polymerization, hyperbranching, photoemulsion polymerization, the grafting-from polymerization process, polymer brushes, living/controlled radical polymerization, and immobilized metallocene catalysts.

With numerical problems accompanying the discussion at every step along with numerous end-of-chapter exercises, Introduction to Chemical Polymer Science: A Problem Solving Approach is an ideal introductory text and self-study vehicle for mastering the principles and methodologies of modern polymer science and chemistry.