Symposium
Editor, J. Kahovec
Wiley-VCH, 2000, pp. 1-182
ISBN 3-527-30137-2
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. Micro-rheological description of the phase structure
formation in multi-component 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. Due 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
behaviour of 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 the relations to the
structure of polymer systems is extremely important.
Rheology of polymer
systems was also the topic of the 19th Discussion Conference organised
as the 58th meeting in the series of the Prague
Meetings on Macromolecules (PMM) on July 19-22, 1999. As usual,
the meeting was held under the auspices of the International Union of
Pure and Applied Chemistry (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 multi-component 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 organising committee for their very
good job and to the contributors for their carefully prepared papers.
Ivan
Fortelny
Jaroslav
Kahovec
> Contents