Polymer International 45 (1998) 327È330

Book Reviews

introduction to polymer scienceAnEdited by Hans-Georg Elias.VCH, New York, 1997.pp. xxii] 470, price £32.00.ISBN 3-527-28790-6

This book contains an extremely thorough and systematicaccount of essential polymer science together with quite a lotof advanced information, in fact far more than the “intro-ductionÏ that the title claims, which will certainly deceive thenovice who wants to acquire a rough and ready basic know-ledge of the subject by browsing through something light inthe train on the way to work. Rather, this is the sort of textthat calls for pencil and paper to check each new equationagainst its predecessors, and peace and quiet in which toweigh and absorb the information provided. In short, it is notan easy read but it is a very sound textbook, crammed withinformation on every aspect of polymers and macromolecules.

The reader talented enough to plough through and under-stand the entire contents of this “introductionÏ will know muchmore about basic polymer science than many professionalscientists, but he will have had a pretty tough row to hoe onthe way because of the intense style of the writing. In placesthe author has tended to choose unnecessarily difficult illus-trations of the points he wants to make. Take Fig. 3-9 on page94 : at this stage in the text, it is there simply to show the threepoints on the ordinate axis but the intelligent reader (and hewill have to be intelligent to persevere this far) will wonderwhy the curves have such strange shapes. This will beexplained later (page 100), but there is no clue to this on page94. Earlier, on page 91, the term “iniferterÏ is introducedwithout providing an example or an indication of how such asubstance can operate. This kind of bafflement is not appro-priate to an introduction.

It is very good to see that the scope of the volume is suffi-cient to include a discussion of industrial processes, biologicalpolymers and polymer technology, together with sections onnomenclature and unitsÈboth almost invariably ignored. It isparticularly commendable that due attention is paid to the useof IUPAC nomenclature, the official internationally-agreedsystem, but IUPAC devotees will be surprised to learn (page1) that “macromoleculeÏ and “polymer moleculeÏ are not syn-onyms : reference to the Glossary of Basic Terms in PolymerScience (Pure Appl. Chem., 68 (1996), 2287) will reveal thatthey are. However, it is gratifying to Ðnd the essential distinc-tion between “polymerÏÈa substanceÈand “macromoleculeÏÈa molecule of a polymerÈclearly delineated.

Among other personal quibbles, it is disappointing to seethat the erroneous third-order nature of uncatalysed poly-esteriÐcation is perpetuated, as is the myth of Group-TransferPolymerisation ; the former was explained properly by Amass

(1979) (Polymer, 20 515), and the latter is now well-known tobe simply anionic polymerization initiated by enolate ions.The choice of American spelling rather than English leads tothe surprising statement (page 436) that the SI unit of length isthe “meterÏ.

Despite these provisos, this is a Ðrst-class, highly authori-tative, compendium of the facts of life of polymer science (andexcellent value for money) but the description “introductionÏ isreally misleading ; it is much more.

(The hype on the dust-jacket surely derives from the publi-sher rather than the author, who must know very well that theinterdisciplinary nature of polymer science is nothing new,neither is a discussion of the science of macromolecules con-ducted here in terms of chemistry, physical chemistry, physics,etc. for anything like the Ðrst time ; the subject has been taughtin this way for over 20 years.)

D.A. Jenkins

spectroscopy.PolymerMacromolecular symposia, Vol. 119Edited by G. Lachenal.Hu� thig and Wepf, Zug, 1997.pp. 352, price DM150, SFr128, o� S1056, US$91.ISBN 3-85739-316-5

Academic journals and conferences are the two routes bywhich scientists disseminate their work, if we put aside thepatent literature. Readers of, and writers for, the former do soin private, the individual presenting or following a train ofthought, in order that he may comprehend a piece of work ofone group so that he and his own collegues may then learnand beneÐt. Conferences, on the other hand, are the stage ofpublic celebrations, with an audience of friends and critics, tobe stimulated and confounded in turn, if the work is signiÐ-cant. Ideally sparks should Ñy, reputations be made and sleep-less nights follow for those who realize they have been misled.Certain performers use almost the same material, perhapsmaking way for a new result by omitting one widely familiarfrom previous presentations ; others, fortunately, can withpride bring something fresh each time. Conferences may focuson a special topic in a manner that broadly-based journalscannot.

The present volume records the lectures and some of theposters presented at last yearÏs 12th European Symposium onPolymer Spectroscopy. The collection has been formed byinvitation and volunteers, and it presents a useful picture of

3271998 SCI. Polymer International 0959-8103/98/$17.50 Printed in Great Britain(

328 Book reviews

the subject at one time. One has to work a little to get the fullbeneÐt : it would be valuable if a subject index were provided,so that one could discover whether and where a particularpolymer or technique was usedÈsuch a thing is but a dayÏswork once the pagination is determined, yet, as from all theother volumes in this series that I have to hand, that index islacking. With such collections there may be several intro-ductions to a technique (as happens here with force Ðelds andtwo-dimensional correlation spectroscopy), but this is varietyrather than repetition, and is compensated by the convenienceof discovering just what the new interests are in this area.There are accounts and illustrations of techniques developedover the last 10 years or so, particularly in vibrational spec-troscopy, where (as described by Noda) the sample is sub-jected to a distortion at vibrational frequencies, to provide asecond dimension to the study. This approach has been usedto tackle several phenomena, such as the premelting of nylon12, and the related method of photoacoustic-scan FTIR spec-troscopy is used to monitor coating at the sub-micron level.

Some highlights may be noticed : there is a beautifulprobing by IR spectroscopy of how the orientations of indi-vidual vibrators in the side chain of an dimer change as aSc~result of switching by the electric Ðeld ; it is demonstrated bymeasurement of dichroism how order in the siloxane back-bone, the oligomethylene spacer, an ester link and the aro-matic mesogen itself is created and switched by an electricÐeld, certain vectors being parallel to and others normal tothe Ðeld directions, and the most sensitive being a phenylband of the mesogen. The time of the response is about 0.1ms. For the industrial IR spectroscopist, anxious to discoverhow much work on identiÐcation might be done for him by acomputer-based search and comparison system incorporatinglibraries of the spectra of standards, Hummel provides a usefulguide to one system. Spectroscopic methods have also beenapplied to measure the stability of a resin exposed to gamma-rays, the chemical changes as poly(p-phenylene vinylene) isformed from a precursor, the curing of gelatin in an electronbeam, the ageing of elastomers, and the composition of a“sticking gelÏ.

One paper on the NMR determination of polymer micro-structure presents good spectra and atactic and partly tacticpoly(propylene oxide)s, clearly showing triad and tetrad Ðnestructure in the backbone carbons of the normal head-to-tailsequences, with some shifts from the regioirregular sectionsclearly present in the spectra of their own systems, but theauthors refrain from using the systematic changes in inten-sities to suggest assignments beyond the tacticity dyad level.The microstructure of poly(1,3-pentadiene) has also beenexamined.

Other techniques mentioned include inelastic neutron scat-tering in aligned polyethylene and paraffins ; Ñuorescence spec-troscopy (to characterize polymerÈbilayer interactions,domains in an ampiphilic polymer solution, and rubbermobility), and an account of GPC equipped with NMR andFTIR detectors. Results from a mechanical relaxation studyare given in the form of a modiÐed ColeÈCole plot : as well aslogarithmic axes being used, the standard form has beenturned on its side ; as in another context, and reversing whatBob Cole once said, “if you want to do it, I suppose thatÏs““notÏÏ the way to do itÏ. Altogether, a provoking volume.

H.A. Fawcett

by polymersCatalysisEdited by E. A. Bekturov and S. E. Kudaibergenov.Hu� thig and Wepf, Zug, Switzerland, 1997.pp. vi] 153, price SFr105, DM118, o� S861.ISBN 3-85739-121-9

The relatively recent and relatively intense interest in the useof polymers as catalysts (or as carriers of catalysts) probablystems from the growing appreciation of the mechanisms ofenzyme action and the belief that synthetic macromoleculesshould be able to perform similar functions to their naturally-occurring counterparts, provided that certain parameters ofstructure can be met.

Sometimes the polymer itself catalyses reactions throughthe mediation of groups attached to the chains, for example,acidic or basic centres ; the hydrolysis of esters is perhaps thebest-known instance of this kind, and certainly it is one of themost familiar of acid-catalysed organic reactions. But manyothers exist, and the Ðrst chapter here also covers the oxida-tion of phenols and thiols ; a particularly interesting facet ofthese reactions is the ability of polymers to e†ect catalysis atthe interface between the reactants, and this has become aÐeld of research in itself.

The use of ion-exchange resins as catalysts, one of the ear-liest applications of polymer-supported reagents, occupies ashort chapter (15 pages) and the remainder of the book (thelargest part) is devoted to heterogenized homogeneous cata-lysts, i.e. transition-metal compounds, known for their cata-lytic activity, attached to macromolecules ; such materials maycombine the characteristic advantages of the homogeneousand heterogeneous systems, i.e. selectivity on the one handwith, for example, ease of regeneration on the other.

The chief drawbacks of this otherwise commendable textare the very small typeface employedÈa book of 250 pages inlarger type would have been a much more comfortable propo-sition for the readerÈand the almost complete lack of refer-ences published in the last decade.

D.A. Jenkins

metathesis and metathesis polymerisationOleÐnEdited by K. J. Ivin and J. C. Mol.Harcourt Brace and Co. Ltd. (Academic Press), London, UK,1997.pp. 204, price DM198.00, £80.00.ISBN 0123-77045-9

My research group has been active in the area of metathesisring opening polymerization for many years and Ken IvinÏsearlier book OleÐn Metathesis, published in 1983, is the mostdog-eared and battered volume in our current book collec-tion. This is not a reÑection on rough treatment from my stu-dents and colleagues, but an indication of constant andrepetitive reference to this useful, comprehensive and totallyreliable monograph by successive generations. The real valueof that book to a group active in the area can be realizedwhen I add that the current volume is the third we have pur-chased since publication.

However, the subject has moved on considerably in the last14 years and the original was beginning to date. This new

POLYMER INTERNATIONAL VOL. 45, NO. 3, 1998