Microwave Properties Of Conducting Polymer Composites

Polymers by virtue of their light weight and ease of fabrication have replaced metals in several areas of application; as often remarked “from buckets to rockets”. Until about 30 years ago all carbon based polymers were rigidly regarded as insulators. The idea that plastics could be made to conduct electricity would have been considered to be absurd. Indeed, plastics have been extensively used by electronic industry because of this very good insulating property. They were utilized as inactive packaging and insulating materials. This narrow perspective is rapidly changing as new class of polymers known as conductive polymers or electro active polymers are being discovered. Although this class is in its infancy much like the plastic industry was in the 30‟s and 50‟s, the potential uses of these are quite significant.

The second edition of this popular textbook thoroughly covers the practical basics and applications of conducting polymers. It also addresses materials that have gained prominence since the first edition of this book was published, namely carbon nanotubes and graphene. The features of this new edition include: New and updated chapters on novel concepts in conducting polymers Details on interdisciplinary applications of conducting polymers An in depth description of classes of conducting polymers

Since their discovery in 1977, the evolution of conducting polymers has revolutionized modern science and technology. These polymers enjoy a special status in the area of materials science yet they are not as popular among young readers or common people when compared to other materials like metals, paper, plastics, rubber, textiles, ceramics and composites like concrete. Most importantly, much of the available literature in the form of papers, specific review articles and books is targeted either at advanced readers (scientists/technologists/engineers/senior academicians) or for those who are already familiar with the topic (doctoral/postdoctoral scholars). For a beginner or even school/college students, such compilations are bit difficult to access/digest. In fact, they need proper introduction to the topic of conducting polymers including their discovery, preparation, properties, applications and societal impact, using suitable examples and already known principles/knowledge/phenomenon. Further, active participation of readers in terms of “question & answers”, “fill-in-the-blanks”, “numerical” along with suitable answer key is necessary to maintain the interest and to initiate the “thought process”. The readers also need to know about the drawbacks and any hazards of such materials. Therefore, I believe that a comprehensive source on the science/technology of conducting polymers which maintains a link between grass root fundamentals and state-of-the-art R&D is still missing from the open literature.

This book presents a comprehensive survey about conducting polymers and their hybrids with different materials. It highlights the topics pertinent to research and development in academia and in the industry. The book thus discusses the preparation and characterization of these materials, as well as materials properties and their processing. The current challenges in the field are addressed, and an outline on new and even futuristic approaches is given. “Conducting Polymer Hybrids” is concerned with a fascinating class of materials with the promise for wide-ranging applications, including energy generation and storage, supercapacitors, electronics, display technologies, sensing, environmental and biomedical applications. The book covers a large variety of systems: one-, two-, and three-dimenstional composites and hybrids, mixed at micro- and nanolevel.

The subject of `Intrinsically Conducting Polymers: an Emerging Technology' was addressed at the NATO Advanced Research Workshop held in Burlington, Vermont, U.S.A. in October 1992. Approximately 30 invited scientists from 11 different countries attended the workshop and 24 lectures were given discussing in detail the most important processing techniques and applications of conducting polymers, along with the basic materials science aspects. The results was the present book, which, for the first time, addresses progress in materials science related to polymers presently on the market and to already existing applications, as well as to future applications. This book covers mostly existing and future applications of intrinsically conducting polymers. Among these applications are the redox-type, such as batteries and electrochemical actuators and artificial muscles. Capacitors, microlithography and transistor uses are addressed. The use of conducting polymers as 'smart' materials in sensor/indicator types of applications is discussed. ESD applications and EMI shielding are subjects that conducting polymers are sought after for. Microwave properties for radar/microwave absorption and for plastics joining/welding are discussed. Also, this book discusses materials processing for the various applications, including fabrication of fibers, textiles, colloids and films/coatings. This book will be an important addition to the libraries of every institution involved in this emerging technology.

Conducting Polymers with Micro or Nanometer Structure describes a topic discovered by three winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000: Alan J. Heeger, University of California at Santa Barbara, Alan G. MacDiarmid at the University of Pennsylvania, and Hideki Shirakawa at the University of Tsukuba. Since then, the unique properties of conducting polymers have led to promising applications in functional materials and technologies. The book first briefly summarizes the main concepts of conducting polymers before introducing micro/nanostructured conducting polymers dealing with their synthesis, structural characterizations, formation mechanisms, physical and chemical properties, and potential applications in nanomaterials and nanotechnology. The book is intended for researchers in the related fields of chemistry, physics, materials, nanomaterials and nanodevices. Meixiang Wan is a professor at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing.

Cold hibernated elastic memory (CHEM) is an innovative, smart material technology that uses shape memory polymers in open cellular structures. This book extensively describes CHEM self-deployable structures, provides basic property data and characteristics, discusses advantages, and identifies numerous space, commercial, and medical applications. Some of these applications have been experimentally and analytically investigated with inspiring results and are revealed here. CHEM technology has a potential to provide groundbreaking self-deployable space structures. Some cutting-edge space CHEM concepts described in this book represent the introduction of a new generation of space deployable structures. CHEM materials have unique characteristics that enable the manufacture of self-deployable stents and other medical devices not possible currently. One of the medical applications, the CHEM endovascular treatment of aneurysm, is being experimentally explored with promising results that would save lives. This book provides a long list of interesting potential commercial CHEM applications that could simplify and make life easier at low cost. One of these products, the self-reconfiguring armchair, is already being set up for mass production. This book will be of interest to all engineering researchers, scientists, engineers, students, designers, and technologists across their relevant fields of interest. The exceptional characteristics of CHEM technology are presently enabling technologists to develop many applications ranging from outer space to inside the human body. As a result, CHEM structures are in the process of reshaping our thinking, approaches, and design methods in many ways that conventional materials and approaches do not allow.