The Elements of Polymer Science and Engineering

Alfred Rudin is a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario. Professor Rudin spent 14 years with a large Canadian chemical company in research, development, and production. He joined the University of Waterloo chemistry department where he is now a Distinguished Professor Emeritus. He is the author or co-author of 295 research papers and 25 patents. Dr. Rudin is also a fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada, the Royal Society of Canada, and the Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology.Professor Phillip Choi received his M.A.Sc. and Ph.D., in chemical engineering, in 1992 and 1995, respectively, from the University of Waterloo. Upon completion of his Ph.D., he worked in the coating industry as a development chemist developing high solids urethane and water-borne epoxy coating formulations. He then joined the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta as a sessional instructor in 1996 and at the same time carried out research in the area of polymer rheology in Prof. Michael Williams' lab. In 1997, he became an assistant professor and was promoted to the rank of full professor in 2006. Professor Choi's current research interests lie in the areas of molecular simulation of polymers, statistical thermodynamics of polymer solutions and blends, structure-property relationships of branched polyethylene and of block copolymers used in nanoscopic drug delivery systems and adsorption behavior of polymer on inorganic surfaces. He has published over 100 book chapters, refereed journal articles and conference proceedings and is constantly in demand as manuscript reviewer for major polymer and physical science journals and proposal reviewer for various Canadian and American funding agencies. Prof. Choi is also an active consultant to various multinational organizations on issues related to polymer product development. He has more than 20 years of experience teaching introductory polymer courses to senior undergraduate and first year graduate students.

The Elements of Polymer Science and Engineering, Third Edition, is a textbook for one- or two-semester introductory courses in polymer science and engineering taught primarily to senior undergraduate and first-year graduate students in a variety of disciplines, but primarily chemical engineering and materials science. Since the publication of the second edition in 1999, the field of polymers has advanced considerably. A key feature of this new edition is the inclusion of new concepts such as polymer nanocomposites and metallocene catalysts in existing chapters as well as new chapters covering selected contemporary topics such as behavior of natural polymers, polymer dynamics, and diffusion in polymers.

This book has been completely reorganized to become more aligned with how instructors currently teach the course. There are now several enhancements to the book's pedagogy, including the addition of numerous worked examples and new figures to better illustrate key concepts and the addition of a large number of end-of-chapter exercises, many of which are based on recently published research and relevant industrial data.

This third edition will appeal to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in the physics, chemistry, and chemical engineering departments who are taking courses related to polymer science and engineering, as well as engineers new to the field of polymers.

• Focuses on applications of polymer chemistry, engineering, and technology
• Explains terminology, applications, and versatility of synthetic polymers
• Connects polymerization chemistry with engineering applications
• Contains practical lead-ins to emulsion polymerization, viscoelasticity, and polymer rheology

Introductory Concepts and Definitions
Basic Principles of Polymer Molecular Weights
Practical Aspects of Molecular Weight Measurements
Mechanical Properties of Polymer Solids and Liquids
Polymer Mixtures
Diffusion in Polymers
Step-Growth Polymerizations
Free Radical Polymerization
Copolymerization
Dispersion and Emulsion Polymerizations
Ionic and Coordinated Polymerizations
Polymer Reaction Engineering
Biopolymers