50 Years Of Polymer Testing

Since the beginning of the rubbers and plastics industries, an essential requirement has been that the materials and the products are tested for quality control, to establish their fitness for purpose and to provide design data. This book gives a unique personal account of the developments in the technology of physical testing of polymers and of the changes in the working environment in which testing was conducted over the last fifty years. The authoritative account reflects the author's position heading the testing laboratories at RAPRA and his involvement in international standardisation for many years. Much of the structure of the book is based on the editorials that have appeared over the thirty years that the author has been the editor of Polymer Testing Journal. They cover observations on the evolving changes in the conditions and attitudes in laboratories, the interaction of commercial and social pressures and the revolutions in instrument and information technology that have impacted on testing. In providing an appreciation of the past history of testing, it is intended that this volume will contribute to the further development of testing rubbers and plastics in the future.

The staggering growth rates in plastics production and applications increase the demand for meaningful measuring and analysis methods in polymer testing. The advances in electronic measuring techniques led to further developments in classic testing methods as well as to completely new methods. This book describes the significance of characteristic data for the quantification of the interrelationship between microstructure and macroscopic properties.

The Handbook of Polymer Testing: Physical Methods provides virtually currently used techniques for measuring and testing the physical properties of polymers. A concise but detailed technical guide to the physical testing methods of synthetic polymers in plastics, rubbers, cellular materials, textiles, coated fabrics, and composites, the book analys

Knowledge of the properties of plastics is essential for designing products, specifying the material to be used, carrying out quality control on finished products, failure analysis and for understanding the structure and behaviour of new materials. Each class of materials has its own specific test procedures, which have developed as the material has evolved. This book concentrates on one area of testing - short-term mechanical tests. These are defined as tests of mechanical properties where the effects of long periods of time and cycling are ignored. This group of tests includes hardness, tensile, compression, shear, flexing, impact and tear and in this book it is also taken to include density and dimensional measurement together with test piece preparation and conditioning. This book will be useful to all those who are already involved in the testing of polymers and it is an ideal guide to those just starting out in the field, whether in academia or industry.

This book provides comprehensive coverage of all aspects of physical testing of elastomers (rubbers and thermoplastic elastomers) including mechanical, electrical, thermal and all aspects of durability. Elastomers are an important class of materials used in such products as tyres, seals and hose which have markedly different properties to other materials. The importance of testing of elastomers means that a comprehensive text on the subject is essential. The advantage over general materials testing books is being more specific while the advantage over general rubber technology books is that testing is dealt with in depth.

The Basics of Polymers is written exclusively about chemical methods of polymer testing aimed at producing a high degree of manufacturing and quality control of polymer products. Polymer testing has assumed importance for industries dependent on polymers and additives as key product components. The text is intended to serve as a handbook for students, engineers, and people involved in polymer synthesis and laboratory work. This book provides information on identification and characterization of polymers by chemical methods. Specifically aimed at graduate-level students, its style of presentation is practical, making it easier to grasp. The author hopes this book will encourage and foster continuing method development and application of chemical methods for characterizing polymers. Education and training of people being of paramount importance, it is also valuable to all educators/processors as a tremendous resource that answers commonly asked questions.

Basics of Polymer, Volume II, demonstrates the scope of polymer testing. In addition, it introduces versatile methods of testing equipment effectively and clearly. In recent years, polymer testing has been extensively developed. Its utility has also been explored in detail, and areas of its practical application in the polymer industry have been added. Polymers, with their macromolecules, undergo a wide variety of phase changes during their processing. Due to this, the author discusses these important, useful, and instrumental techniques aimed at improving the quality of products. This book introduces the exceptionally promising instrumental methods that are of interest and relevance to technologists. Students interested in various aspects of instrumental techniques will also find the book useful. The instrumental techniques are discussed along with their possible applications to polymers. Looking to the future, it might be said that instrumental techniques will be, and should be, the methods for further research and study.