Most descriptions of polymers start at room temperature and end at the melting point. This textbook starts at very low temperatures and ends at room temperature. At low temperatures, may processes and relaxations are frozen which allows singular processes or separate relaxations to be studied. At room temperatures, or at the main glass transitions, many processes overlap and the properties are determined by relaxations. At low temperatures, there are temperature ranges with negligible influences by glass transitions. They can be used for investigating so-called basic properties which arise...

Most descriptions of polymers start at room temperature and end at the melting point. This textbook starts at very low temperatures and ends at room temperature. At low temperatures, may processes and relaxations are frozen which allows singular processes or separate relaxations to be studied. At room temperatures, or at the main glass transitions, many processes overlap and the properties are determined by relaxations. At low temperatures, there are temperature ranges with negligible influences by glass transitions. They can be used for investigating so-called basic properties which arise...

This was the third meeting in the series of special topical conferences on Non-Metallic materials at low temperatures. The first meeting was in Munich in 1978, the second in Geneva (1980) and so Heidelberg 1984 seemed an obvious time to review some of the hopes and objectives of the earlier meetings. It is also appropriate to consider the changing needs of the cryogenic community and how best the theory and practice of Non-metallic materials can be applied to suit this dynamic young science. The aims and objectives of the International Cryogenic Materials Board in sponsoring this meeting...