Polymer Processing: Principles and Design presents the background required to design processes for thermoplastics. Often engineers are hired by the polymer industry to develop and design processes for thermoplastics, to design polymer processing machinery, to develop processes for new polymers, and to optimize existing processes. However, at best, they receive only a little training in polymer science and no training in the design of polymer processes. This book emphasizes the fundamental concepts that allow the student and the practicing engineer to carry out practical design decisions. While most books leave the student with equations only, Polymer Processing: Principles and Design provides the numerical methods required to solve the equations using the personal computer and easy-to-use IMSL numerical subroutines, and ensures a solid foundation in the principles underlying the design of polymer processing techniques.

The first comprehensive and functionally useful engineering analysis of underlying principles and mechanisms. Takes a novel approach suggesting that any of the prevailing processing methods can be broken down into a shaping step and into a set of clearly defined elementary steps that prepare the polymeric raw material for shaping. The shaping steps include calendering and coating; die forming; mold coating; molding and casting; and secondary shaping; whereas the elementary steps are handling of particulate solids; melting; pressurization and pumping; mixing; and stripping and devolatilization.

Polymer processing has a profound effect on the final properties and thus the applications of plastics. Leading international scientists and engineers have contributed to this unique self- contained handbook making it indispensable to polymer scientists and engineers.

Contents:
Meijer: Processing for Properties. Agassant: General Principles of Polymer Processing Modeling. Janssen: Emulsions: The Dynamics of Liquid-Liquid Mixing. Keller/Kolnaar: Flow-Induced Orientation and Structure Formation. Janeschitz-Kriegl/Eder: Crystallization. Hu/Lambla: Fundamentals of Reactive Extrusion. Dusek: Network Formation. Marechal/Inoue: Reactive Processing of Polymer Blends: Polymer-Polymer Interface Aspects. Stanford/Ryan/Elwell: Structure Development in Reactive Systems. Lemstra/Meijer: Processing of Polymers Using Reactive Solvents. Bastiaansen: High-Modulus and High-Strength Fibers Based on Flexible Macromolecules. van der Sanden: Deformation and Toughness of Polymers. Decker: Photopolymerization and UV-Curing of Multifunctional Monomers. Wilson: Conducting Polymers and Applications. Creton: Materials Science of Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives. Ward: New Processing Technologies.