Additives in Polymers: Analysis and Applications

Additives are selected depending on the type of polymers to which they will be added or the application for which they will be used. The appropriate selection of additives helps develop value-added plastics with improved durability as well as other advantages. This research book provides a range of modern techniques and new research on the use of additives in a variety of applications. The methods and instrumentation described represent modern analytical techniques useful to researchers, product development specialists, and quality control experts in polymer synthesis and manufacturing. Engineers, polymer scientists, and technicians will find this volume useful in selecting approaches and techniques applicable to characterizing molecular, compositional, rheological, and thermodynamic properties of elastomers and plastics.

The informative chapters are the work of researchers at the Department of Polymers and Composite Materials at the prestigious Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics of Russian Academy of Sciences.

Professor Alexandr A. Berlin, DSc, is director of the N. N. Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics at the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. He is a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and many national and international associations. Dr. Berlin is a world-renowned scientist in the field of chemical kinetics (combustion and flame), chemical physics (thermodynamics), chemistry and physics of oligomers, polymers, and composites and nanocomposites. He is the contributor of 100 books and volumes and 1000 original papers and reviews.

Svetlana Z. Rogovina, DSc, is a well-known specialist in the field of the solid phase modification of polysaccharides and productions of blends of polysaccharides with synthetic polymers under conditions of the shear deformation. She is an author about 100 papers and reviews dedicated to these problems. She showed that in solid phase under conditions of shear deformations, some derivatives of cellulose (alkali cellulose and some others), as well as chitosan from nature polysaccharide chitin and its derivatives, may be produced. These results are very important because they allow scientists to realize that the polysaccharides modification in the absent of solvents by ecologically friendly method. In recent years Dr. Rogovina’s interests lie with the creation of biodegradable compositions on the base of polysaccharides and synthetic polymers. The blending of polymers under conditions of shear deformation allows the production of materials with uniform distribution of components and as sequence with improving physico-mechanical properties and capacity to biodegradation.

Gennady E. Zaikov, DSc, is head of the Polymer Division at the N. M. Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, and professor at Moscow State Academy of Fine Chemical Technology, Russia, as well as professor at Kazan National Research Technological University, Kazan, Russia. He is also a prolific author, researcher, and lecturer. He has received several awards for his work, including the Russian Federation Scholarship for Outstanding Scientists. He has been a member of many professional organizations and on the editorial boards of many international science journals.