Foamability of Thermoplastic Polymeric Materials

Foamability of Thermoplastic Polymeric Materials presents a cutting-edge approach to thermoplastic polymeric foams, drawing on the latest research and guiding the reader through the fundamental science, foamability, structure-property-processing relationship, multi-phase polymeric materials, degradation characteristics of biodegradable foams and advanced applications. Sections provide detailed information on foam manufacturing technologies and the fundamental science behind foaming, present insights on the factors affecting foamability, cover ways of enhancing the foamability of various polymeric materials, with special focus on multi-phase systems, discuss the degradation of biodegradable foams and special morphology development for scaffolds, packaging, acoustic and super-insulation applications, as well as cell seeding studies in scaffolds. Each application has specific requirements in terms of desired properties. This in-depth coverage and analysis helps those looking to move forward with microcellular processing and polymer foaming. This is an ideal resource for researchers, advanced students and professionals interested in the microcellular processing of polymeric materials in the areas of polymer foaming, polymer processing, plastics engineering and materials science. - Offers in-depth coverage of factors affecting foamability and methods for enhancing the foamability of polymeric materials - Explores innovative applications in a range of areas, including scaffolds, acoustic applications, packaging and super-insulation - Provides a comprehensive, critical overview of the state-of-the-art, possible future research directions, and opportunities for industrial application

Professor Suprakas Sinha Ray is a Chief Research Scientist and Manager of the Centre for Nanostructures and Advanced Materials, DSI-CSIR Nanotechnology Innovation Centre, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa. His current research focuses on the applications of advanced nanostructured & polymeric materials. He is one of the most active and highly cited authors in the field of polymer nanocomposite materials, and he has recently been rated by Thomson Reuters as being one of the top 1% most impactful and influential scientists and top 50 high impact chemists. He is the author of 7 authored books, co-author of 5 edited books, 32 book chapters on various aspects of polymer-based nanostructured materials & their applications, and author and co-author of 430 articles in high-impact international journals.