Assuming no previous knowledge of polymers, this book provides a general introduction to the physics of solid polymers. Covering a wide range of topics within the field of polymer physics, the book begins with a brief history of the development of synthetic polymers and an overview of the methods of polymerisation and processing. In the following chapter, David Bower describes important experimental techniques used in the study of polymers. The main part of the book, however, is devoted to the structure and properties of solid polymers, including blends, copolymers and liquid crystal polymers. With an approach appropriate for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of physics, materials science or chemistry, the book includes many worked examples, and problems with solutions. It will provide a firm foundation for the study of the physics of solid polymers.

SynopsisMost methods of studying molecular orientation in polymers can give only limited information about the distribution of molecular orientations, and this is particularly true of methods for studying the noncrystalline material. It is shown, however, that if the mean values P2 and P4 of the secondorder and fourth-order Legendre polynomials in cos0 can be determined for the chains in a uniaxially oriented polymer, where 0 is the angle between the chain axis and the drawing or extrusion direction, some qualitative statements about the form of the distribution can be made with complete certainty for some, but not all, sets of values of P2 and P4. It is shown in addition, that if the distribution is fairly smooth a good estimate of its general form can also be obtained, and that a knowledge of P6 and higher-order means will not improve this estimate appreciably unless they are known with great accuracy.It should, however, be noted that although reference to "chain" axes will be made throughout the paper, the results apply to distributions of any kind of axes which satisfy these two conditions.

It is assumed that the intensity of the vibrational Raman scattering from each of the structural units (molecular segments or crystallites) in an oriented polymer solid is determined by a symmetric second‐rank tensor. The distribution of orientations of the principle axes of the tensors is expanded in a series of generalized spherical harmonics, Zlmn(θ)e−imψe−inϕ, and it is shown that relations among the coefficients in this expansion can be obtained from suitable intensity measurements using polarized radiation. If the orientation of the tensor axes within the structural unit is known (in the general case, for several Raman lines), then the coefficients Mlmn of a similar expansion for axes fixed in the units can be obtained for l, m, and n even and l ≤ 4. The limitation to even m follows from the assumption that the solid has at least orthotropic statistical symmetry but the limitations on n and l arise from the nature of the Raman effect. Some simple special cases are considered and some orientation‐independent intensity sums are derived. It is shown that, with the simplifying assumption usually made, the theory of the polarized fluorescence method for determining molecular orientations is a special case of the theory for the Raman method.

This book describes the theory and practice of infrared and Raman spectroscopy as applied to the study of the physical and chemical characteristics of polymers. Its purpose is to give the beginning researcher in the field a firm foundation and a starting point for the study of more-advanced literature. To this end the book concentrates on the fundamentals of the theory and nomenclature, and on the discussion of well-documented illustrations of these fundamental principles, including many now-classic studies in the subject. No previous knowledge of either polymers or vibrational spectroscopy is assumed. The book will be of value to anyone beginning research on the vibrational spectroscopy of polymers, either from a physics or a chemistry background. It is intended to be especially suitable for use in undergraduate courses in physics, chemistry or materials science at both universities and polytechnics.

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