Polymer International 46 (1998) 157È158

Book Reviews

and deformulation of polymeric materials : paints,Analysisplastics, adhesives and inksJan W. Gooch.Plenum Press, New York, 1997.pp. xx] 332, price US$95.00.ISBN 0-306-45541-2

This volume is designed to facilitate the analysis of polymericmaterials and compositions, which, for those who, forexample, have to analyse a paint, and know the numerousproblems involved. The term “deformulationÏ in the title issomewhat unusual.

Physical methods are increasingly used, and surface analysisis of increasing importance : 37 pages are devoted to the latter.This includes familiar methods, such as light and electronmicroscopy, and newer developments such as Auger spectros-copy, which provides analysis of the Ðrst few atomic layers (10

or less) of the surface of a sample.ÓBulk analysis (52 pages) includes atomic spectroscopy,

X-ray di†raction, various types of chromatography, NMR,and mass and ultraviolet spectroscopy.

The major part of the volume is devoted to a description ofpaint, adhesives inks, and plastics with regard to their rawmaterials and formulation, with some short chapters onsimple methods of deformulation. An appendix gives typicalformulations in each class, and a list of USA suppliers.

H. Warson

symposia : organic light-emitting materialsMacromolecularand devicesEdited by H. Ho� cker.Hu� thig & Wepf, Heidelberg, 1997.pp. 211, price DM90, SFr78, o� S638, US$55.ISBN 3-85739-322-X

The holy grail of spur technology is a development of lightemitting diodes with particular spectral responses. Thisvolume reports a meeting held at the ACS National Meetingin San Francisco in 1997 on this topic. The volume contains18 presentations from that meeting and summarizes much ofthe state-of-the-art work in the area of molecular design anddevelopment in this area. The Ðrst chapter is a 50 page reviewof the development of organic electrode luminescencematerials, which sets the scene in terms of both the historicand current problems associated with the development of effi-

cient electroluminescent devices from which the light-emittingdiodes are likely to be generated in a comprehensive and welllaid out discussion which covers all the major moleculararchitectures which have been explored in this area. Thearticle concludes with a consideration of the realistic potentialof these materials in relation to large area displays and high-lights some of the more important issues.

The papers contributed to this symposium represent aninteresting mix of materials science, focusing on moleculardesign and understanding of the molecular mechanismsassociated with the electroluminescent process. There are alsofour papers concerned with the fabrication of devices and theissues in relation to achieving a high efficiency from thesematerials when placing them into thin Ðlm format. As with allsymposium material the papers are likely to have a Ðnite lifeas the activity in this Ðeld internationally is quite extensive.Nevertheless, as a snapshot of the current state of the art high-lighting the important chemical, physical and technical issues,this volume makes an important contribution to the literaturein this area and is recommended to those interested in molec-ular electronics.

A.R. Pethrick

electroactive polymer–intelligent materials systemsConductiveEdited by G. G. Wallace, G. M. Spinks and P. R. Teasdale.Technomic Publishing Co. Inc., Lancaster, PA. 1997.pp. xii] 161, price SFr253.ISBN 1-5676-437-8

It is now almost 20 years since MacDiarmid Ðrst achievedintrinsic conductivity in doped polyacetylene. The initial pro-jections for these materials as replacements for metals, semi-conductors and polymer electrolytes were never realised and itis as sensors or part of intelligent materials that these intrins-ically conducting materials appear to be achieving theirpotential. Many books have been written about intrinsicallyconducting polymers and their electroactivity, but this bookby the group from Wollongong and Menai puts a very di†er-ent slant on the topic.

The introduction is an excellent survey of the potentialapplications of conductive electroactive polymers to suchareas as electromechanical devices, electromembrane trans-port cells and electrochemically controlled liquid chromato-graphy. The key to the development of these materials is theinteresting feature which arises when the pH of the medium ischanged for polypyrrole, polyaniline, polythiophene andrelated hetero-atom-containing conjugated polymer systems.

1571998 SCI. Polymer International 0959-8103/98/$17.50 Printed in Great Britain(

158 Book reviews

This volume contains a focused and comprehensive survey ofthe salient features of synthesis, characterization of electricaland mechanical properties and the relation of these topics tothe morphology and their applications. The Ðnal chapter isconcerned with the integration of these materials into devicestructures and the use of host matrices as supporting media.

This is a valuable addition to the literature on conductingelectroactive polymers and can be strongly recommended tothose interested in the potential of organic materials for elec-troactive applications. It is a truly practically orientated textwithout the detailed theoretical physics content which hasdominated most of the books published on this topic.

A.R. Pethrick

process modelingPolymerizationNeil A. Dotson, Rafael Galva� n, Robert L. Laurence, MatthewTirrell.VCH, Cambridge, UK, 1996.pp. 371] xvi, price DM128.ISBN 1-56081-693-7

In their preface, the authors say that this book is based onmaterial that can be used for senior students or graduate stu-dents and it is not intended as a review book for the practisingpolymerization engineer. There are seven chapters whichcover many important aspects of polymerization processes.Each chapter includes a substantial, up-to-date, list of refer-ences and a set of problems for the reader.

The Ðrst chapter describes distinctive features of polymersincluding molecular structure and physical behaviour, intro-ducing ideas important for dealing with substances with largeand variable molecular sizes. This is followed by a chapter onstep growth polymerization that presents both the fundamen-tal chemistry and a mathematical treatment which facilitates agood quantitative understanding of this polymerization type.The reaction kinetics and methodology for treating degrees ofpolymerization in step growth systems are comprehensive.

Essential characteristics of chain growth polymerization arepresented in chapter 3, which includes the consequences of gele†ects in free-radical systems. Copolymerization, both free-radical and step growth, is treated separately in Chapter 4.Here again, the authors show how quantitative expressionscan be developed and used. Non-linear polymerization is notan easy subject to present systematically, but Chapter 5 pro-vides a balanced mix of qualitative description and quantitat-ive representation. Chapter 6 describes polymerizationreactors, showing some of the e†ects of mixing in reactors andhow various basic reactor types can be used for poly-merization processes. The account of heterogeneous poly-merization, in Chapter 7, includes suspension, emulsion andZeiglerÈNatta polymerizations. The accounts are largely qual-itative but the reader gains a good indication of the basic fea-tures of each process.

Readers with a basic grasp of chemistry and mathematics,will Ðnd this book a useful aid in coming to terms with theessentials of polymerization processes. There are a few pointsof detail with which the reviewer did not agree, but thatdoes not detract from the value of the book. It can be recom-mended to students, by teachers of university courses inmaterials and chemical engineering, because it provides atreatment that is not found in many other books. The book iswell bound, the layout of the text is good and the illustrationsare clear. There is an unusually wide margin on the left-handside of each page. The publishers may have included this forpersonal annotation but it increases the size (and probably thecost) of the book. Even so, the book is good value for money.

W.B. Brooks

plasticsÈfundamentals and applicationsMetallizedEdited by K. L. Mittal.Marcel Dekker, New York, 1998.pp. xiv] 273, price US$175.ISBN 0-8247-9925-9

This book is based on a conference on “Metallized PlasticsÏwhich was held in Hawaii in 1993 by the ElectrochemicalSociety. It covered a broad spectrum of topics and contains 28papers from all over the world, split into three sections ; metal-lization techniques and the properties of metal deposits, inves-tigation of interfacial interactions and plastic surfacemodiÐcation and adhesion aspects of metallized plastics.

Metallization of plastics is an area which has recentlyundergone a renaissance in terms of methods of thin Ðlmpreparation, characterization and application. Novel tech-niques in terms of vapour phase deposition, electrodelessdeposition and more conventional metallic depositionmethods are described, involving a polyimide, polyethyleneterephthalate and polytetraÑuoroethylene. Because of increas-ing interest in this area, due to its importance in a wide rangeof electronic applications, a broad range of sophisticatedsurface analytical techniques allows a detailed understandingof the nature of interactions between the metal atoms to beprobed, and the results compared with theoretical prediction.One of the most important issues in relation to metallized sur-faces is the strength of the polymerÈmetal interface. Use ofplasma treatment to improve adhesion as well as novelmethods of measurement of the adhesive strength aredescribed.

The topic of metallized plastics is a specialized area : thisvolume makes an important contribution to the literature onthis topic and should be read by all those involved in the useof plastics in electronic applications.

A.R. Pethrick

POLYMER INTERNATIONAL VOL. 46, NO. 2, 1998