Heat Resistant Polymers

Definitions of what is meant by a heat-resistant polymer vary considerably. We have taken the term to mean a polymer which can be used, at least for short time periods, at temperatures from 150°C. The greatest problem which arises in writing a monograph on such materials is the tremendous amount of data that is available. More than 2000 references have been published on one heat-resistant polymer system alone over a period of little more than two years. The result is that a very high degree of selectivity must be exercised with respect to the information reproduced. We have chosen to restrict our coverage to polymers that have received at least some degree of commercial exploitation and to details of their methods of preparation, their thermal and thermo-oxidative stabilities and modes of degradation, and their properties at elevated temperatures. It must be emphasized that other properties not cited, e. g. , hydrolytic and chemical stability, and resistance to ultraviolet radiation, may be equally important in particular uses of these materials. The "older" heat-resistant polymers, e. g. , the thermosets and some of the fluorine-containing materials, are not dealt with in such depth as are the "newer" polymers with aromatic and/or heterocyclic rings in the chain. This is because books have been available for some time on the well-established commercial polymers and developments in them have not been as marked re cently as in the aromatic and heterocyclic macromolecules.

At head of title: Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Institute of Hetero-Organic Compounds.

Definitions of what is meant by a heat-resistant polymer vary considerably. We have taken the term to mean a polymer which can be used, at least for short time periods, at temperatures from 150°C. The greatest problem which arises in writing a monograph on such materials is the tremendous amount of data that is available. More than 2000 references have been published on one heat-resistant polymer system alone over a period of little more than two years. The result is that a very high degree of selectivity must be exercised with respect to the information reproduced. We have chosen to restrict our coverage to polymers that have received at least some degree of commercial exploitation and to details of their methods of preparation, their thermal and thermo-oxidative stabilities and modes of degradation, and their properties at elevated temperatures. It must be emphasized that other properties not cited, e. g. , hydrolytic and chemical stability, and resistance to ultraviolet radiation, may be equally important in particular uses of these materials. The "older" heat-resistant polymers, e. g. , the thermosets and some of the fluorine-containing materials, are not dealt with in such depth as are the "newer" polymers with aromatic and/or heterocyclic rings in the chain. This is because books have been available for some time on the well-established commercial polymers and developments in them have not been as marked re cently as in the aromatic and heterocyclic macromolecules.

The Effect of Long Term Thermal Exposure on Plastics and Elastomers, Second Edition brings together a wide range of essential data on the effect of long-term thermal exposure on plastics and elastomers, enabling engineers to make optimal material choices and design decisions. This second edition has been thoroughly revised to include the latest data and materials. This highly valuable handbook will support engineers, product designers, R&D professionals, and scientists who are working on plastics products or parts for high temperature environments across a range of industries. This readily available data will make it easy for practitioners to learn about plastic materials and their long- term thermal exposure without having to search the general literature or depend on suppliers. This book will also be of interest to researchers and advanced students in plastics engineering, polymer processing, coatings, and materials science and engineering. Provides essential data and practical guidance for engineers and scientists working with plastics in high temperature environments Includes introductory chapters on the effect of heat aging and testing methods, providing the underpinning knowledge required to utilize the data Covers a wide range of commercial polymer classes that are updated to include the latest developments in plastics materials