Chemistry International
Vol. 23, No. 1
January 2001
New
Books and Publications
Macromolecular Symposia, Vol. 158: Rheology of Polymer Systems.
Symposium Editor, Jaroslav Kahovec; Editor, I. Meisel; Associate Editor, S.
Spiegel; Assistant Editors, H. Beattie and C. S. Kniep. Published by
Wiley-VCH, August 2000, pp. 1-182. ISBN 3-527-30137-6 (ISSN 1022-1360).
Rheology of polymer systems was also the topic of the 19th
Discussion Conference organized as the 58thmeeting in the
series of Prague Meetings on Macromolecules (PMM) on 19-22 July 1999.
Conference report
by Dr. H. M. Laun (CI January 2000, Vol. 22,
No. 1, p. 20).
Contents and Preface
Rheology of polymer systems in the molten state is an area of great
scientific interest and practical importance.
Molten polymer systems have fascinating rheological properties, which
qualitatively differ from those of low-molecular weight liquids. Knowledge
of the properties and understanding of their relations to the structure
are necessary conditions for efficient processing of polymeric materials.
Microrheological description of the phase structure formation in multicomponent
polymer systems during their preparation by melt mixing and processing
is needed for controlling their structure and, therefore, also their
properties. For these reasons, in the last decade, the rheology of polymer
systems has been an object of intensive studies. Owing to the complexity
of studied problems, correct determination of rheological properties
of polymer systems is not always easy, and many various approximations
are used in the description of the rheological behavior or polymer systems.
Therefore, the discussion of methods of measurements, as well as plausibility
and consequences of various approaches to the description of rheological
properties and their relation to the structure of polymer systems, is
extremely important.
As usual, the meeting was held under the auspices of IUPAC at the Institute
of Macromolecular Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech
Republic in Prague. A total of 66 participants from 22 countries contributed
to the scientific program of the conference.
There were 6 main lectures, 17 special lectures, and 23 poster communications.
The most interesting panel discussions were devoted to problems of rheometry
and processing in multiphase polymer systems (led by A. Ya. Malkin,
Russia) and problems of the description of structure formation and evolution
in molten multiphase polymer systems (led by J. Lyngae-Jørgensen,
Denmark).
All the contributions and discussions were very helpful for better
understanding the problems of determination of rheological properties,
of the prediction of relations between the structure and rheological
properties of polymer systems, and of the description of the phase structure
formation and evolution in multicomponent polymer systems. We believe
that the main and special lectures collected in this volume will provide
the same benefit to the readers.
The participants created not only an excellent professional forum,
but also a very agreeable company.
We wish to express our gratitude to all participants and sponsors for
supporting the meeting, to the organizing committee for their very good
job, and to the contributors for their carefully prepared papers.
Dr. Ivan Fortelny and Dr. Jaroslav Kahovec
Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic,
Prague