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The third edition of this popular text has undergone a transformation and now covers both physical and organic chemistry rather than mere organic polymer chemistry. This volume also goes beyond competing texts in covering hot topics such as photonic polymers.

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This successful textbook undergoes a change of character in the third edition. Where earlier editions covered organic polymer chemistry, the third edition covers both physical and organic chemistry. Thus kinetics and thermodynamics of polymerization reactions are discussed.

This edition is also distinct from all other polymer textbooks because of its coverage of such currently hot topics as photonic polymers, electricity conducting polymers, polymeric materials for immobilization of reagents and drug release, organic solar cells, organic light emitting diodes.

This textbook contains review questions at the end of every chapter, references for further reading, and numerous examples of commercially important processes.

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Physical Properties and Physical Chemistry of Polymers.- Free-Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization.- Ionic Chain-Growth Polymerization.- Ring-Opening Polymerizations.- Common Chain-Growth Polymers.- Step-Growth Polymerization and Step-Growth Polymers.- Naturally Occurring Polymers.- Reactivity and Chemical Modifications of Polymers.- Polymeric Materials for Special Applications.

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A. Ravve received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Utah in 1950, and was Post Doctoral Fellow at both the University of Michigan (1950-1951) and Iowa State University (1951-1952). He worked for 28 years with Continental Group, Incorporated, mainly as a Research Manager, and subsequently as Senior Consultant in syntheses and utilization of polymeric materials. He also taught evening courses in polymer chemistry at several institutions of higher learning in the Chicago area, from 1960-1991. Currently he does consulting in polymer chemistry.

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