Polymer Solutions (Volume 9) (Studies in Polymer Science, Volume 9)

Remarkable progress has been made in the last two decades in the study of concentrated polymer solutions leading to many new concepts, theories, and techniques in the field of polymer science. Any description of the theory of polymer solutions is now insufficient unless both concentrated and dilute solutions are given equal attention. This book reviews recent developments in the study of dilute and concentrated polymer solutions, emphasizing mainly the typical equilibrium and steady-state dynamic properties of linear homopolymers. The author strives to clarify the gap which still remains open between current theories and well-documented experimental results, thereby stimulating further efforts toward a more accurate understanding of polymer solutions. The book contains a collection of typical experimental data and their comparison with current theories, molecular or phenomenological, a summary of recent advances in the physics of concentrated polymer solutions and melts, and an elementary account of the renormalization group theory as applied to dilute solutions. Polymer Solutions should prove invaluable as a reference work for graduate students and specialists in this field.