By David Reed, UT EditorShawbury, UK- Rapra Technology Ltd, the UK's leading polymer consultancy group, has published a 585-page handbook titled Chemistry and technology of polyols for polyurethanes.Written by Mihail Ionescu, based at Pittsburg State University, Kansas, the book covers the chemistry and technology of oligo-polyol manufacture, the characteristics of the various oligo-polyol families, and the effects of the oligo-polyol structure on the properties of the resulting polyurethanes. After two opening chapters outlining polyols and their use in making polyurethanes, respectively, the remaining 19 chapters present details of polyol synthesis, and explain the chemical and physico-chemical subtleties of their manufacture. The book covers all the main polyol types, including polyethers, and polyesters, as well as polybutadiene, acrylic, polysiloxane and aminic variants.The main manufacturing processes are also discussed, including the use of double-metal catalysis, the production of polymer polyols, and the cationic polymerisation of polytetrahydrofuran, propylene and ethylene oxides.The book also has chapters addressing the specific characteristics of polyols for the production of the main polyurethane types including "elastic polyurethanes"-covering flexible and semi-flexible foams, and elastomers and elastomeric fibres-as well as rigid foams.Other chapters address specific technologies and include one on polyols from renewable resources, one on flame retardant polyols, another on polyols made by chemical recovery of PU wastes, and one on novel materials such as amidic and hyper-branched (dendritic) polyols.The chapters, replete with chemical formulae and equations, all carry full reference details and the book closes with a useful 21-page index.Chemistry and technology of polyols for polyurethanes retails at £135 (about $250, €200 (plus postage and packaging) and is available from www.polymer-books.com or from Publications Sales, Rapra Technology, Shawbury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 4NR, United Kingdom, Tel: +44 (0)1939 250383, Fax: +44 (0)1939 251118, E-mail: [email protected]"
