Applied Plastics Engineering Handbook: Processing, Materials, and Applications (Plastics Design Library)

Applied Plastics Engineering Handbook: Processing, Materials, and Applications, Second Edition, covers both the polymer basics that are helpful to bring readers quickly up-to-speed if they are not familiar with a particular area of plastics processing and the recent developments that enable practitioners to discover which options best fit their requirements.

New chapters added specifically cover polyamides, polyimides, and polyesters. Hot topics such as 3-D printing and smart plastics are also included, giving plastics engineers the information they need to take these embryonic technologies and deploy them in their own work.

With the increasing demands for lightness and fuel economy in the automotive industry (not least due to CAFÉ standards), plastics will soon be used even further in vehicles. A new chapter has been added to cover the technology trends in this area, and the book has been substantially updated to reflect advancements in technology, regulations, and the commercialization of plastics in various areas.

Recycling of plastics has been thoroughly revised to reflect ongoing developments in sustainability of plastics. Extrusion processing is constantly progressing, as have the elastomeric materials, fillers, and additives which are available.

Throughout the book, the focus is on the engineering aspects of producing and using plastics. The properties of plastics are explained, along with techniques for testing, measuring, enhancing, and analyzing them. Practical introductions to both core topics and new developments make this work equally valuable for newly qualified plastics engineers seeking the practical rules-of-thumb they don't teach you in school and experienced practitioners evaluating new technologies or getting up-to-speed in a new field.

• Presents an authoritative source of practical advice for engineers, providing guidance from experts that will lead to cost savings and process improvements
• Ideal introduction for both new engineers and experienced practitioners entering a new field or evaluating a new technology
• Updated to include the latest technology, including 3D Printing, smart polymers, and thorough coverage of biopolymers and biodegradable plastics

Myer Kutz has been heading his own firm, Myer Kutz Associates, Inc., since 1990. For the past two decades, he has focused on writing and developing engineering handbooks on a wide range of technical topics, such as mechanical, materials, biomedical, transportation, and environmentally conscious engineering. Earlier, his firm supplied consulting services to a large client roster, including Fortune 500 companies, scientific societies, and large and small publishers. He has been a trustee of the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) and chaired committees of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Association of American Publishers (AAP). He is a long-time judge for the AAP's annual PROSE Awards, and holds engineering degrees from MIT and RPI, served as an officer in the US Army Ordnance Corp, and worked in the aerospace industry on the Apollo project. He is the author of nine books. He writes “The Scholarly Publishing Scene”, a column for the magazine Against the Grain. He lives in Delmar, New York, with his wife, Arlene.