Macromol.
Symp., Vol. 147, 1999, pp. 1 - 273
Mechanical
Behaviours of Polymeric Materials
Symposium
Editor, M.
Raab and J. Kahovec
Wiley-VCH, 1999, pp. 1-273
Preface
Mechanical behaviour
of polymeric materials is an area that has an interesting long history
and tradition. From the very beginning this field has been a meeting
place of experts from polymer synthesis, processing and application.
Indeed, mechanical characteristics are decisive of reliable functions
of polymers virtually in all application fields starting from materials
for industrial structure parts through medical applications up to contemporary
media for data storage. In all these fields, mechanical failure can
cause extensive damage and heavy losses. Consequently, mechanical parameters
serve for optimization of technological processes, quality control,
and right design of dependable parts.
Mechanical behaviour
of polymeric materials depends on their structure. The structure, in
turn, must be considered at various levels: molecular, supermolecular,
crystalline, phase, up to microscopic cracks. Together with the development
of mechanical testing methods, a considerable body of knowledge has
subsequently been accumulated on interrelations between the parameters
of individual levels of hierarchical structure and macroscopic mechanical
behaviour. This allowed formulation of structure models on one hand
and application of mechanical methods for the characterization of structure
and structural dynamics on the other. The understanding of structure-property
relationship finally allowed the development of high-performance polymeric
materials with dramatically enhanced strength, toughness, durability
and reliability in comparison to classic polymers. Quite logically,
the study of mechanical behaviour became an important and respected
branch of polymer physics.
Mechanical behaviour
of polymeric materials was also the title of the 18th Discussion Conference
organized as the 56th meeting in the series of the Prague Meetings on
Macromolecules (PMM) on July 20-23, 1998. 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, Academy
of Sciences of the Czech Republic in Prague. The important and interesting
topic (perhaps together with the beauty of the city of Prague) attracted
127 participants from 24 countries. There were 10 main lectures, 10
special lectures and 74 poster communications. Two panel discussions
were devoted to Mechanical Behaviour of High-Performance Polymers (led
by A. Hiltner, U.S.A.) and Strength and Toughness of Oriented Polymer
Systems, Composites and Blends (led by H.H. Kausch, Switzerland). All
the contributions and discussions provided a gauge of the contemporary
understanding of structural micromechanisms responsible for the macroscopic
mechanical behaviour. In particular, it is clear now that the assessment
of the complex hierarchical structure is important for the formulation
of a realistic structure model of mechanical behaviour. As expressed
by Prof. Eric Baer, only very few experts in mechanical behaviour of
polymers did not come to Prague in summer 1998. 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.
Miroslav
Raab
Jaroslav
Kahovec
> Contents
