Introduction to Polymer Science

Polymer science is a subfield of materials science. It generally deals with synthetic polymers such as plastics and elastomers. It has three main sub-disciplines- polymer chemistry, polymer physics and polymer characterization. The chemical synthesis and chemical properties of polymers are studied under polymer chemistry. Polymer physics focuses on the bulk properties of polymer materials and engineering applications. The analysis of chemical structure and morphology is dealt with under polymer characterization. This branch also determines the physical properties with respect to compositional and structural parameters. The various sub-fields of polymer science along with technological progress that have future implications are glanced at in this book. It is appropriate for students seeking detailed information in this area as well as for experts. Coherent flow of topics, student-friendly language and extensive use of examples make this book an invaluable source of knowledge.