By
K. Kamide, Faculty of Economics, Nara Sangyo University, Nara 636-8503, Japan
T. Dobashi, Faculty of Engineering, Gunma University, Gunma 376-8515, Japan
Description
This book is mainly concerned with building a narrow but secure ladder which polymer chemists or engineers can climb from the primary
level to an advanced level without great difficulty (but by no means easily, either).
This book describes some fundamentally important
topics, carefully chosen, covering subjects from thermodynamics to molecular weight and its distribution effects. For help in self-education
the book adopts a "Questions and Answers" format. The mathematical derivation of each equation is shown in detail. For further reading,
some original references are also given.
Numerous physical properties of polymer solutions are known to be significantly different
from those of low molecular weight solutions. The most probable explanation of this obvious discrepancy is the large molar volume ratio
of solute to solvent together with the large number of consecutive segments that constitute each single molecule of the polymer chains
present as solute. Thorough understanding of the physical chemistry of polymer solutions requires some prior mathematical background
in its students. In the original literature, detailed mathematical derivations of the equations are universally omitted for the sake
of space-saving and simplicity. In textbooks of polymer science only extremely rough schemes of the theories and then the final equations
are shown. As a consequence, the student cannot learn, unaided, the details of the theory in which he or she is interested from the existing
textbooks; however, without a full understanding of the theory, one cannot analyze actual experimental data to obtain more basic and
realistic physical quantities. In particular, if one intends to apply the theories in industry, accurate understanding and ability to
modify the theory are essential.
Audience:
For students at universities and researchers, who are studying the physical chemistry of polymer solutions. Also as a reference text
for technologists intending to apply the physical chemistry of polymer solutions to industrial practice and to educators teaching this
or related subjects.
