Preface

Polymers have transformed every aspect of our life, from disposable consumer goods (plastic bags and bottles), common medical devices (contact lenses and stents), transportation (tires and aerospace composites) to integrated circuits (IC substrates and packaging of semiconductor chips). To satisfy these demands, the chemical industry produces over 400 million tons of polymers each year. A byproduct of such enormous amounts of polymers is a significant plastic pollution problem, from islands of plastic trash in our oceans to polymeric nanoparticles permeating our ecosystem. Moreover, all of us are made of biopolymers encoded in genes via DNA—a long-chain, double-helical biological macromolecule. In summary, polymers are ubiquitous in our world. The goal of this book is to introduce students to the core concepts of polymer physics. The topics are selected in such a way as to provide readers with a basic knowledge of the underlying molecular processes that are responsible for the macroscopic properties of polymers. The pedagogy is complemented by solutions to 60 problems targeting both an improvement in problem-solving skills and providing a “boot camp” for nurturing the skills necessary for understanding the content material. This should prepare students to tackle advanced topics of modern polymer science that go beyond the scope of the book. Ultimately students should be able to apply learned concepts to conduct a critical analysis of experimental data and to comprehend the current literature.