Polymer Data Handbook

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PREFACE TO THE PRINT EDITION
The Polymer Data Handbook offers, in a standardized and readily accessible tabular format, concise
8 s% ~# H9 X" V. ^; K7 i4 Oinformation on the syntheses, structures, properties, and applications of the most important polymeric
3 C1 V$ K  q- ?1 B) P0 ematerials. Those included are currently in industrial use or they are under study for potential new
applications in industry and in academic laboratories. Considerable thought was given to the criteria
: N* F7 P; i: v8 U% F4 efor selecting the polymers included in this volume. The first criterion was current commercial
. r# F5 ~3 p( p8 N) Uimportance—the use of the polymer in commercial materials—for example, as a thermoplastic, a
thermoset, or an elastomer. The second criterion was novel applications—a polymer that is promising
; T& ^1 Z* J% v4 |; jfor one or more purposes but not yet of commercial importance—for example, because of its
# S7 u+ ]$ u1 celectrical conductivities, its nonlinear optical properties, or its suitability as a preceramic polymer.
6 N% g0 B- S6 C5 }! O! B% k) nThe hope is that some readers will become interested enough in these newer materials to contribute to
$ k# R% A' n6 T$ Q' K% Otheir further development and characterization. Finally, the handbook includes some polymers simply
because they are unusually interesting—for example, those utilized in fundamental studies of the
7 N2 F* @8 P& q+ h- M# }effects of chain stiffness, self-assembly, or biochemical processes.
2 p7 F7 ]& V+ i( v4 L& iBased on these three criteria, more than two hundred polymers were chosen for inclusion in this
+ O, p: I, E  Gwork. The properties presented for each polymer include some of great current interest, such as
surface and interfacial properties, pyrolyzability, electrical conductivity, nonlinear optical properties,
and electroluminescence. Not all the properties are available for all the polymers included, and some
7 F1 U: w  z/ h, O2 v2 D" Hproperties may not even be relevant for certain polymer classes. Some polymers exhibit properties
shown by few others—such as electroluminescence—and those have been presented as "Properties of
) v7 b5 z3 E0 a2 e2 Z7 E6 kSpecial Interest."
The handbook entries were written by authors carefully chosen for their recognized expertise in their
, e( b; E+ Z8 Z+ o, F/ Ospecific polymers. The authors were asked to be highly selective, to choose and document those
' a% l3 O. G' _7 t6 Dresults that they considered to have the highest relevance and reliability. All the entries were then
# D0 S/ l) X* m% b$ |3 u0 x  p' J% ireviewed carefully by one or more referees, to ensure the highest quality and significance. Care was
taken to achieve maximum consistency between entries, especially with regard to terminology,
" ~+ t6 L% g+ d. I3 k0 y# @7 K9 N' T" Vnotations, and units. The goal was to facilitate searches in the printed version of the handbook and
electronically on the online site.
( `+ z/ |5 n6 _Grateful acknowledgment is made here to the important contributions of the anonymous referees. It is
also my real pleasure to thank a number of people at Oxford University Press for their help:
; U+ O/ @/ D; R/ o! p3 mspecifically, Robert L. Rogers and Sean Pidgeon contributed greatly to the initiation and formulation
$ c" B' }! u+ B3 f3 U  mof the basic structure of the handbook, and Matthew Giarratano carried out its implementation. It is
appropriate here to thank my wife Helen for the kind of support, tangible and intangible, that makes
an intimidating project, like this one, doable and sometimes even a pleasant experience.