The Equilibrium Theory Of Inhomogeneous Polymers

This book provides a pedagogical introduction to the theoretical and computer simulation techniques that are useful in the design of polymer formulations including personal care products, multiphase plastic materials, processed foods, and colloidal and nanoparticle dispersions. The book serves to unify previous work in a common language and provides a balanced treatment of analytical theory and numerical techniques, including an introduction to the exciting new field offield-theoretic polymer simulations - the direct numerical simulation of field theory models of meso-structured polymer melts, solutions, and dispersions.

This work provides a pedagogical introduction to the theoretical and computer simulation techniques that are useful in the design of polymer formulations including personal care products multiphase plastic materials and processed foods.

The Equilibrium Theory of Inhomogeneous Polymers provides an introduction to the field-theoretic methods and computer simulation techniques that are used in the design of structured polymeric fluids. By such methods, the principles that dictate equilibrium self-assembly in systems ranging from block and graft copolymers, to polyelectrolytes, liquid crystalline polymers, and polymer nanocomposites can be established. Building on an introductory discussion of single-polymer statistical mechanics, the book provides a detailed treatment of analytical and numerical techniques for addressing the conformational properties of polymers subjected to spatially-varying potential fields. This problem is shown to be central to the field-theoretic description of interacting polymeric fluids, and models for a number of important polymer systems are elaborated. Chapter 5 serves to unify and expound the topic of self-consistent field theory, which is a collection of analytical and numerical techniques for obtaining solutions of polymer field theory models in the mean-field approximation. The concluding Chapter 6 provides a discussion of analytical methods for going beyond the mean-field approximation and an introduction to the exciting new field of field-theoretic polymer simulations - the direct numerical simulation of polymer field theory models. No other book brings together in such a detailed and instructive fashion the theoretical and numerical tools for investigating the equilibrium structure and thermodynamics of meso-structured polymer formulations, including those relevant to soft material nanotechnologies, personal care products, and multiphase plastic materials.

This edited volume brings together the state of the art in polymer nanocomposite theory and modeling, creating a roadmap for scientists and engineers seeking to design new advanced materials. The book opens with a review of molecular and mesoscale models predicting equilibrium and non-equilibrium nanoscale structure of hybrid materials as a function of composition and, especially, filler types. Subsequent chapters cover the methods and analyses used for describing the dynamics of nanocomposites and their mechanical and physical properties. Dedicated chapters present best practices for predicting materials properties of practical interest, including thermal and electrical conductivity, optical properties, barrier properties, and flammability. Each chapter is written by leading academic and industrial scientists working in each respective sub-field. The overview of modeling methodology combined with detailed examples of property predictions for specific systems will make this book useful for academic and industrial practitioners alike.

This primer introduces the theory of self-assembly of block polymers, most notably self-consistent field theory (SCFT). Block polymer self-assembly is a fascinating and highly interdisciplinary topic. This primer can be read at several levels, depending on what readers want to get out of it. Readers who want an overview of self-assembly in block polymer and what SCFT says about the process can read Chapters 1-3 and skip to Chapter 7 to see the open questions. If the reader is further interested in the output of SCFT calculations but not how those outputs are generated, they should read Chapter 6 as well. But if the reader wants to learn how to do the SCFT calculations themselves, Chapters 4 and 5 offer an accessible introduction to the theory and numerical methods, providing an excellent entry point into the literature. This primer includes data that the authors have computed using SCFT. All calculations use the open-source software package Polymer Self-Consistent Field (PSCF), developed by David Morse at the University of Minnesota. Take breaks from reading to watch ten “Insider Q&A” videos included throughout, which offer additional insight from experts in the field, such as An-Chang Shi, Chinedum O. Osuji, Frank S. Bates, Christopher M. Bates, Glenn H. Fredrickson, and Lisa Hall. Furthermore, this primer includes multiple features to aid and enhance readers’ learning. “That’s a Wrap” summarizes key concepts at the end of each chapter, while “Read These Next” suggests references that may interest further reading. A pop-up glossary ensures readers have definitions as needed throughout the primer.

This book describes the forcefields/interatomic potentials that are used in the atomistic-scale and molecular dynamics simulations. It covers mechanisms, salient features, formulations, important aspects and case studies of various forcefields utilized for characterizing various materials (such as nuclear materials and nanomaterials) and applications. This book gives many help to students and researchers who are studying the forcefield potentials and introduces various applications of atomistic-scale simulations to professors who are researching molecular dynamics.

Polymer-Based Nanoscale Materials for Surface Coatings presents the latest advances and emerging technologies in polymer-based nanomaterials for coatings, focusing on novel materials, characterization techniques, and cutting-edge applications. Sections present the fundamentals of surface preparation and nanocoatings, linking materials and properties, explaining the correlation between morphology, surface phenomena, and surface protection mechanism, and covering theory, modeling and simulation. Other presented topics cover characterization methods, with an emphasis on the latest developments in techniques and approaches. Aging and lifecycle assessment of coated surfaces and coatings are also discussed.Final sections explore advanced applications across a range of fields, including intelligent coatings for biomedical implants, self-healing coatings, syper-hydrophobicity, electroluminescence, sustainable edible coatings, marine antifouling, corrosion resistance, and photocatalytic coatings. Explains the fundamentals of coatings and surface protection, mechanisms, materials and properties, and modeling and simulation Presents detailed information on the latest characterization techniques to prepare nanoscale polymer coatings with enhanced properties Explores a broad range of state-of-the-art applications and considers aging and lifecycle assessments of coatings

The directed self-assembly (DSA) method of patterning for microelectronics uses polymer phase-separation to generate features of less than 20nm, with the positions of self-assembling materials externally guided into the desired pattern. Directed self-assembly of Block Co-polymers for Nano-manufacturing reviews the design, production, applications and future developments needed to facilitate the widescale adoption of this promising technology. Beginning with a solid overview of the physics and chemistry of block copolymer (BCP) materials, Part 1 covers the synthesis of new materials and new processing methods for DSA. Part 2 then goes on to outline the key modelling and characterization principles of DSA, reviewing templates and patterning using topographical and chemically modified surfaces, line edge roughness and dimensional control, x-ray scattering for characterization, and nanoscale driven assembly. Finally, Part 3 discusses application areas and related issues for DSA in nano-manufacturing, including for basic logic circuit design, the inverse DSA problem, design decomposition and the modelling and analysis of large scale, template self-assembly manufacturing techniques. Authoritative outlining of theoretical principles and modeling techniques to give a thorough introdution to the topic Discusses a broad range of practical applications for directed self-assembly in nano-manufacturing Highlights the importance of this technology to both the present and future of nano-manufacturing by exploring its potential use in a range of fields