Short description:

This textbook provides a concise and transparently structured one-semester course in polymer physics - the science, in addition to polymer chemistry, behind a class of ubiquitous materials. It covers all major theoretical concepts and their applications in six chapters, including the conformations of chains, the thermodynamics of mixtures, solutions and networks, and the dynamics of polymers. Selected topics highlight aspects of polymer mechanics, the role of particulate fillers, stable and labile liquid crystal polymers, and polyelectrolytes. Solved problems deepen and extend important points that are explained in the main chapters.

The emphasis is on the derivation of the results and not on their mere presentation. If a result can be obtained using different theoretical methods or viewed from a different angle, an attempt is made to explain the relationships between the methods as clearly as possible. In addition, the validation of theoretical results through suitable experiments is always included. All this assumes a certain familiarity with statistical thermodynamics and its mathematics, which means that the text is best suited for upper undergraduate level.

Long description:

This textbook provides a concise and transparently structured one-semester course in polymer physics - the science, in addition to polymer chemistry, behind a class of ubiquitous materials. It covers all major theoretical concepts and their applications in six chapters, including the conformations of chains, the thermodynamics of mixtures, solutions and networks, and the dynamics of polymers. Selected topics highlight aspects of polymer mechanics, the role of particulate fillers, stable and labile liquid crystal polymers, and polyelectrolytes. Solved problems deepen and extend important points that are explained in the main chapters.

The emphasis is on the derivation of the results and not on their mere presentation. If a result can be obtained using different theoretical methods or viewed from a different angle, an attempt is made to explain the relationships between the methods as clearly as possible. In addition, the validation of theoretical results through suitable experiments is always included. All this assumes a certain familiarity with statistical thermodynamics and its mathematics, which means that the text is best suited for upper undergraduate level.

Table of Contents:

Introduction.-  Polymers - Microstructure, Classification, and Mass.-  Equilibrium Conformation of Single Chains.-  Thermodynamics of Blends, Solutions, and Networks.-  Polymer Dynamics.- Selected Topics (Aspects of the Mechanics of Polymers, Filler Effects, Stable and Labile Liquid Crystalline Polymers, Polyelectrolytes).-  Appendix A: Phenomenological Models for Viscoelasticity.- B: Persistence Length from Fluctuation Theory.- C: Teaching and Studying the Material in these Notes.