Macromolecules in solutions can be distinctly characterised by their transport behaviour in solution phase. The study of the transport processes includes diffusion coefficient, sedimentation coefficient, intrinsic viscosity and friction constant. The question arises as to how to explicitly characterise the macromolecules from the data of coefficients. This book answers this question in a systematic manner. It provides physical interpretation of the data obtained in macromolecular transport phenomena in a given system and also addresses some important issues and concepts related to biopolymers such as proteins and nucleic acids. The application of concepts like conformational properties and salient physicochemical features of protein and nucleic acids is also elucidated in the book. Based on the molecular structure, it provides the essential concepts which can be used to model and analyse the static and transport behaviour of polymers and biopolymers.

Presenting a completely new approach to examining how polymers move in non-dilute solution, this book focuses on experimental facts, not theoretical speculations, and concentrates on polymer solutions, not dilute solutions or polymer melts. From centrifugation and solvent dynamics to viscosity and diffusion, experimental measurements and their quantitative representations are the core of the discussion. The book reveals several experiments never before recognized as revealing polymer solution properties. A novel approach to relaxation phenomena accurately describes viscoelasticity and dielectric relaxation and how they depend on polymer size and concentration. Ideal for graduate students and researchers interested in the properties of polymer solutions, the book covers real measurements on practical systems, including the very latest results. Every significant experimental method is presented in considerable detail, giving unprecedented coverage of polymers in solution.

Colloidal suspensions are encountered in a multitude of natural, biological and industrially relevant products and processes. Understanding what affects the flow behaviour, or rheology, of colloid particles, and how these suspensions can be manipulated, is important for successful formulation of products such as paint, polymers, foods and pharmaceuticals. This book is the first devoted to the study of colloidal rheology in all its aspects. With material presented in an introductory manner, and complex mathematical derivations kept to a minimum, the reader will gain a strong grasp of the basic principles of colloid science and rheology. Beginning with purely hydrodynamic effects, the contributions of Brownian motion and interparticle forces are covered, before the reader is guided through specific problem areas, such as thixotropy and shear thickening; special classes of colloid suspensions are also treated. On line resources include: questions and solutions for self-study, updates, and links to further resources.

The field of polymer science has advanced and expanded considerably in recent years, encompassing broader ranges of materials and applications. In this book, Fumihiko Tanaka unifies the subject matter, pulling together research to provide an updated and systematic presentation of polymer association and thermoreversible gelation, one of the most rapidly developing areas in polymer science. Starting with a clear exposition of the fundamental laws of polymer physics, subsequent chapters discuss a new theoretical model that combines thermodynamic and rheological theory. Recent developments in polymer physics are explored, along with important case studies on topics such as self-assembly, supramolecules, thermoreversible gels and water-soluble polymers. Throughout the book, a balance is maintained between theoretical descriptions and practical applications, helping the reader to understand complex physical phenomena and their relevance in industry. This book has wide interdisciplinary appeal and is aimed at students and researchers in physics, chemistry and materials science.

Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac, one of the greatest physicists of the twentieth century, died in 1984. Dirac's college, St John's of Cambridge, generously endowed annual lectures to be held at Cambridge University in his memory. This volume contains a much expanded version of the 1994 Dirac Lecture by Nobel Laureate Pierre Gilles de Gennes. The book presents an impressionistic tour of the physics of soft interfaces. Full of insight and interesting asides, it not only provides an accessible introduction to this topic, but also lays down many markers and signposts for interesting new research possibilities. The text begins with a brief discussion of wetting and dewetting and then goes on to consider the dynamics of different types of interface before considering adhesion and polymer/polymer welding.

This is a new and greatly revised edition of Professor Chandrasekhar's classic book Liquid Crystals, first published in 1977. The subject of liquid crystals has grown into an exciting interdisciplinary research field with important practical applications. This book presents a systematic and self-contained treatment of the physics of the different types of thermotropic liquid crystals - the three classical types, nematic, cholesteric and smectic, and the newly discovered discotic type. Included is a description of the structures of these four main types and their polymorphic modifications, their thermodynamical, optical and mechanical properties and their behaviour under external fields. The basic principles underlying the major applications of liquid crystals in display technology and in thermography are also discussed. This book will be of great value to advanced students and researchers in condensed matter physics, chemical physics, materials science and technology with an interest in the physics, chemistry and applications of liquid crystals.

In Crystallization of Polymers, 2nd Edition, Leo Mandelkern provides a self-contained, comprehensive, and up-to-date treatment of polymer crystallization. Volume 2 of this edition provides an authoritative account of the kinetics and mechanisms of polymer crystallization, building from the equilibrium concepts presented in volume 1. As crystalline polymers rarely, if ever, achieve their equilibrium state, this books serves as a bridge between equilibrium concepts and the state that is finally achieved. With a comprehensive treatment of the surrounding theories and experimental results from simple to complex polymer systems, this book will be an invaluable reference work for all chemists, physicists and materials scientists working in the area of polymer crystallization.