This monograph focuses on the chemical modification of properties during the final stages of part fabrication from plastics, providing extensive coverage of a variety of resins and processing methods, including reactive extrusion and grafting. The 14 chapters on resin groups currently in widespread use or under active research and development cover basic chemistry and recent developments in additives, properties, curing, and formulations. Applications of reactive polymers range from dental fillings to industrial processes for batch fabrication.

From the Preface: “...A minor number of polymers, usually called resins, are delivered as precursors by the chemical industry to the manufacturer. Here, the manufacturer gets to the final article by a chemical reaction. There also exists an in-between state where polymers can be modified by reactive extrusion and grafting. The modification of polymers is advantageous if comparatively small changes of certain properties are needed that cannot be achieved in chemical plants. Since many different precursors of the final resin can be combined, the variability of, and thus the ability to modify, the final properties are much more pronounced in comparison to the rest of the polymers...”

Target Audience: Polymer chemists and plastics engineers, and upper level students in these disciplines.

Table of Contents:

Unsaturated Polyester Resins

Polyurethanes

Epoxy Resins

Phenol/Formaldehyde Resins

Urea-Formaldehyde Resins

Melamine Resins

Furan Resins

Silicones

Acrylic Resins

Cyanate Ester Resins

Bismaleimide Resins

Terpene Resins

Cyanoacrylates

Benzocyclobutene Resins

Reactive Extrusion

Compatibilization

Rheology Control

Grafting

Acrylic Dental Fillers

Toners

Index