Plastics: Materials and Processing

This book is designed to introduce plastics to a wide range of readers who need to either gain, improve, or refresh their knowledge of plastic materials and manufacturing. It fully discusses both materials and manufacturing processes in a carefully-constructed and logical presentation. While providing a fundamental overview of a broad spectrum of topics, the author touches upon polymeric materials (molecular viewpoint); micro structures in polymers; mechanical properties (macro viewpoint); chemical and physical properties (macro viewpoint); thermoplastic materials (commodity plastics); thermoplastic materials (engineering plastics); thermoset materials; elastomeric (rubber) materials; designing with plastics; extrusion process; injection molding process; blow molding process; thermoforming process; rotational molding process; casting processes; foaming processes; compression and transfer molding processes; polymeric composite materials and processes; radiation processes; finishing and assembly; environmental aspects of plastics; and operations. For practicing engineering technologists and engineers as well as anyone interested in plastics.