Plastics are the most diverse materials in use in our society and the way that they are processed controls their structure and properties. The increasing reliance on plastics for high-value and high-performance applications necessitates the investment in new ways of manufacturing polymers. One way of achieving this is through reactive processing. However, the dynamics of reactive processes places new demands on characterization, monitoring the systems and controlling the complete manufacturing process.

This book provides an in-depth examination of reactive polymers and processing, firstly by examining the necessary fundamentals of polymer chemistry and physics. Polymer characterization tools related to reactive polymer systems are then presented in detail with emphasis on techniques that can be adapted to real-time process monitoring. The core of the book then focuses on understanding and modelling of the flow behaviour of reactive polymers (chemorheology). Chemorheology is complex because it involves the changing chemistry, rheology and physical properties of reactive polymers and the complex interplay among these properties. The final chapter then examines a range of industrial reactive polymer processes, and gives an insight into current chemorheological models and tools used to describe and control each process.

This book differs from many other texts on reactive polymers due to its

The book has been aimed at chemists, chemical engineers and polymer process engineers at the advanced-undergraduate, post-graduate coursework and research levels as well as industrial practitioners wishing to move into reactive polymer systems.