Macromolecular Symposia No 149

Volume 149 of Macromolecular Symposia consists of lectures and selected posters presented at the "6th European Symposium on Polymer Blends". In May 1999, participants from all over the world got together at the Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany in order to discuss new developments in the area of polymer blends from a both scientific and applied viewpoint.

The international symposium “POLYCONDENSATION 2002” (15-18 September, in Hamburg, Germany) was the 4th meeting of a series launched in Paris 1996. This symposium covered topics such as: New theories New synthetic methods Block copolymers Hyperbranched polymers Liquid crystalline polymers Properties and application This book contains (oral) contributions of the symposium.

This volume contains papers based on the main lectures, oral communications and selected posters presented at the 4th International Conference of Polymer-Solvent Complexes and Intercalates held as the 63rd meeting of Prague Meetings on Macromolecules in Prague in July 2002. Many aspects of the polymer-solvent interactions, structure and dynamics in solution, gels, solids and interfaces are discussed in detail herein. The wide scope of the presented results is evidence of the growing impact of this field on various research areas.

Liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) have a wide range of uses, from strong engineering plastics to delicate gels for use in liquid crystal (LC) displays. For this reason, it is essential reading for materials scientists, engineers or technologists in industry, as well as research laboratories or academia. An additional indexed section containing several hundred abstracts from the Rapra Polymer Library database gives useful references for further reading.

This report discusses the different types of styrenic copolymers available in the market place today, their properties and applications. The market situation is discussed. The chemistry of these materials is outlined, together with a summary of manufacturing methods. The morphology, manufacture and properties of key materials are described. This review is accompanied by summaries of the cited papers from the Rapra Polymer Library database.

First multi-year cumulation covers six years: 1965-70.

Polyolefin Foams are a relatively recent development compared to the other types of foam. Topics covered in this review include: processing and the properties required for successful foam production, the molecular structures necessary, the mechanical and thermal properties and how these can be used to best advantage, markets and applications. The review is accompanied by around 400 abstracts from the Polymer Library database.