During the last two decades, the production of polymers and plastics has been increasing rapidly. In spite of developing new polymers and polymeric materials, only 40 60 are used commercially on a large scale. It has been estimated that half of the annual production of polymers is employed outdoors. The photochemical instability of most polymers limits their outdoor application as they are photodegraded quickly over periods from months to a few years. To the despair of technologists and consumers alike, photodegradation and environmental ageing of polymers occur much faster than can be...

Thirty years ago, Zavoisky, in Moscow (USSR), reported the first successful experi mental observations of the ESR phenomenon. Its application to polymer problems began about 20 years ago. ESR belongs to the most specific and useful methods in the study of polymer reactions. The main purpose of this book is to collect the present available information on the applications of electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy in polymer research. The book has been written both for those who want an introduction to this field, and for those who are aheady familiar with ESR and are interested in...

In this book on physical characteristics and practical aspects of polymer photodegradation Rabek emphasizes the experimental work on the subject. The most important feature of the book is the physical interpretation of polymer degradation, e.g. mechanism of UV/light absorption, formation of excited states, energy transfer mechanism, kinetics, dependence on physical properties of macromolecules and polymer matrices, formation of mechanical defects, practics during environmental ageing. He includes also some aspects of polymer photodegradation in environmental and space condition.