Thermoplastic Polymer Composites: Processing, Properties, Performance, Applications and Recyclability

The monograph represents a life-long career in industry and academia and creates an exhaustive and comprehensive narrative that gives a complete understanding of important and state-of-the-art aspects of polymer composites including processing, properties, performance, applications & recyclability.

Based on 40 years’ experience in both industry and academia, the author’s goal is to make a comprehensive and up-to-date account that gives a complete understanding of various aspects of polymer composites covering processing, properties, performance, applications & recyclability.

Divided into 8 main chapters, the book treats thermoplastics vs. thermosets and the processing of thermoplastics; filled polymer composites; short fiber reinforced composites; long fiber reinforced composites; continuous fiber reinforced composites; nanocomposites; applications; and recycling polymer composites.

Readers can have confidence that:

• Thermoplastic Polymer Composites (TPC) gives a comprehensive understanding of polymer composites’ processing, properties, applications, and their recyclability;
• Provides a complete understanding of man-made as well as natural fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites and explores in depth how short fiber, long fiber, and continuous fiber can transform the entire domain of composites’ processing and properties;
• Provides a deep understanding of nanocomposites with more than 50 examples covering both commodities as well as engineering thermoplastics. It presents conducting composites and several bio-medical applications of composites that are already passed through laboratories.

Audience

This unique reference book will be of great value to researchers and postgraduate students in materials science, polymer science, as well industry engineers in plastics manufacturing. Those working in product development laboratories of polymer and allied industries will also find it helpful.

Sodagudi Francis Xavier worked as a scientist for more than 35 years at the R&D Center of Reliance Industries Ltd., Vadodara Manufacturing Division, which was also known as I.P.C.L. (Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd.). He developed High Impact Polyolefin Blend Technology that was transferred to and used by Maruti Udyog Ltd. in their cars. After he received his PhD from I.I.T. Delhi in 1979, he worked as a temporary faculty member in the Center for Materials Science & Technology, I.I.T. Delhi for over 3 years. He received the award ‘Visionary Inventor 2006’ from MarkPatent.Org, for his patents (2 US Patents and 6 Indian Patents granted), as well as his work at Parul University as Director (R&D), where he led faculty and students to file 150 Patents and Copyrights and took Parul University to seventh position among all Indian Educational Institutes, as declared by the Indian Patent Office, in 2014.