Polymers - Opportunities and Risks I: General and Environmental Aspects (The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, 11)

Since their first industrial use polymers have gained a tremendous success. The two volumes of "Polymers - Opportunities and Risks" elaborate on both their potentials and on the impact on the environment arising from their production and applications. Volume 11 "Polymers - Opportunities and Risks I: General and Environmental Aspects" is dedicated to the basics of the engineering of polymers ́ always with a view to possible environmental implications. Topics include: materials, processing, designing, surfaces, the utilization phase, recycling, and depositing. Volume 12 "Polymers - Opportunities and Risks II: Sustainability, Product Design and Processing" highlights raw materials and renewable polymers, sustainability, additives for manufacture and processing, melt modification, biodegradation, adhesive technologies, and solar applications. All contributions were written by leading experts with substantial practical experience in their fields. They are an invaluable source of information not only for scientists, but also for environmental managers and decision makers Front Matter....Pages i-xvi Plastics: Classification, Characterization, and Economic Data....Pages 1-17 Synthesis (Manufacture, Production) of Plastics....Pages 19-46 Properties of Plastics in Structural Components....Pages 47-165 Processing (Primary Forming) of Plastics into Structural Components....Pages 167-286 Secondary Forming of Plastics Structural Components: Thermoforming....Pages 287-292 Opportunities and Risks Involved in Designing Structural Components Made of Polymers....Pages 293-361 Opportunities and (in Particular) Risks of Use (Utilization Phase) of Plastic Structural Components....Pages 363-389 Plastics and Structural Components: The Environment and Recycling....Pages 391-427 Perspectives: Polymer Engineering....Pages 429-435 Back Matter....Pages 437-443 I. General and environmental aspects / vol. ed., Peter Eyerer II. Sustainability, product design and processing / vol. eds., Peter Eyerer, Martin Weller, Christof Hübner.