Future Directions In Polymer Colloids

Future Directions In Polymer Colloids Hohamed S. EI-Aasser, and Robert H. Fitch (editors) It is appropriate that the first NATO-Advanced Research Workshop on "FUTURE DIRECTIONS IN POLYMER COLLOIDS" was held approximately fifty years after the first synthetic polymer latexes were made on a commercial scale during the mid-1930s. Since that time the field of what is now known as polymer colloids has been evolving rapidly, not only on the practical level, but also on the scientific and engineering levels. Billions of pounds of copolymers are manufactured annually by means of the emulsion polymerization process. "Commodity" polymers as well "specialty" polymers are prepared today for use in a wide variety of applications: synthetic rubber, floor coatings, paints, adhesives, binders for non-woven fabrics, high-impact polymers latex foam, additives for construction materials such as cement and concrete, and rheological modifiers. They are also used in numerous biomedical applications: such as diagnostic tests, immunoassays, biological cell-labeling, (identi fication and separation), and drug delivery systems. Small quantities of monodisperse polymer colloids are used as size calibration standards and find extensive use as model colloids to test theories in colloids surface and rheological studies. Advances have been made in our understanding of the mechanism and kinetics of the emulsion polymerization process as well as the stability of polymer colloids. Equal advances were made in engineering areas related to polymer colloids, e. g. modeling of batch, semi-continuous and continuous emulsion polymerization and copolymer ization processes.

As optical fiber communication systems have moved out of the laboratory and into commercial use over the past several years, the general field of guided wave and coherent optics has undergone a radical transformation. Research in optical communication has turned heavily towards single-mode technology and, totally new phenomena and applications of the existing technology, outside the communication field, have begun to proliferate. It was for this reason that we decided to organize a NATO Advanced Study Institute assembling the leading workers in this new domain, in order to define the state of the art, and, develop an idea of the new directions the field might take. The lectures and seminars presented at this Advanced Study Institute form the basis for this book. The subjects treated can be roughly grouped as : - New phenomena in optical fibers such as non-linear effects, soliton propagation and polarization conservation. - New applications of fibers, to measurements of rotation pressure, temperature etc ... and medical uses. - Advanced and exploratory work on single-mode fiber communica tion systems including the use of coherent transmission schemes and optical amplification. - Recent developments of optical information treatment based on four-wave mixing. - Integrated optical devices and technologies including bistable devices, parametric oscillators, and optical logic. In addition to these major topics, a number of national reviews and specialized seminars treating new guided wave structures and materials are included. The co-editors admit being rather pleased with the result.

The term latex covers emulsion polymers, polymer dispersions and polymer colloids. This review report provides a general overview of the emulsion polymerisation processes and explains how the resulting latices are used in industrial applications. The classes of emulsion polymers are surveyed and the commercial technologies and potential future uses discussed. An additional indexed section containing several hundred abstracts from the Polymer Library gives useful references for further reading.

The growth of interest in the subject of Polymer Colloids over the last twenty five years or so has been very large resulting now in major international conferences on an annual basis and many national ones as well. The interest stems not only from the wide range of applications of these materials but also from a curiosity as to the mechanism of formation and their growing use as model particles to investigate fundamental aspects of physics and chemistry. In July 1988 a NATO Advanced Study Institute was held in Strasbourg, France, at the Centre St. Thomas. As an educational introduction to this I nstitute a series of eight lectures was given to cover the fundamental aspects of the subject. These eight lectures have now been compiled into an Introductory Text covering, emulsion poly merization, dispersion polymerization, inverse emulsion polymerization, the morphology of copolymer latices, the colloidal properties of latices, characterization methods and rheology. It is hoped that these will serve a wide audience, undergraduates, graduate-students and research workers, both in industry and academe. The chapters all contain review material up to date at the time of publication. fhe 1988 NATO Advanced Study I nstitute was made possible by a grant from the NATO-AS I programme and the following companies: BASF, Ludwigshafen, West Germany The Dow Chemical Company, Michigan, USA Dow Chemical Rheinwerk GmbH, Rheinmunster, West Germany ICI PLC, Runcorn, England S. C. Johnson and Son Inc., Racine, USA NORSOLOR, Verneuil en Halatte, France Rhone Poulenc, Aubervilliers, France.

Amidst developments in nanotechnology and successes in catalytic emulsion polymerization of olefins, polymerization in dispersed media is arousing an increasing interest from both practical and fundamental points of view. This text describes ultramodern approaches to synthesis, preparation, characterization, and functionalization of latexes, nanoparticles, and numerous additional colloidal polymer systems. In chapters contributed by leading international researchers, it communicates critical parameters for method selection, presents guidelines for controlling structural and colloid properties, presents recent results and information on polymer colloids, and describes other tools to assist in the production of desirable outcomes.

Academic and industrial research around polymer-based colloids is huge, driven both by the development of mature technologies, e.g. latexes for coatings, as well as the advancement of new materials and applications, such as building blocks for 2D/3D structures and medicine. Edited by two world-renowned leaders in polymer science and engineering, this is a fundamental text for the field. Based on a specialised course by the editors, this book provides the reader with an invaluable single source of reference. The first section describes formation, explaining basic properties of emulsions and dispersion polymerization, microfluidic approaches to produce polymer-based colloids and formation via directed self-assembly. The next section details characterisation methodologies from microscopy and small angle scattering, to surface science and simulations. The final chapters close with applications, including Pickering emulsions and molecular engineering for materials development. A comprehensive guide to polymer colloids, with contributions by leaders in their respective areas, this book is a must-have for researchers and practitioners working across polymers, soft matter and chemical and molecular engineering.

Many books offer coverage of the current work of top researchers, but rarely is any attempt made to look beyond the present day. Emerging Themes in Polymer Science is a unique book which not only documents the latest research but also provides an insight into the likely future of polymer science. At the heart of the debate, and a key feature of the book, is the relationship between polymer science and biology. Also discussed are polymer semi-conductors and devices; polymer colloids; biomaterials; tissue engineering and polymers; neutron and synchrotron research; theory; and rheology. Anyone involved in polymer research, including those in the fields of electronics and nanotechnology, will welcome this book.