A Little Book about BIG Chemistry

Derek James Rowland (aka Jim) Massy worked mainly in industrial polymer research, with an emphasis on surface coatings and textile chemicals. Following an uninvited early retirement, he studied further at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and gained a PhD in 1986. Thereafter he spent his time doing organic synthesis of varied types in pharmaceutical research and at the UEA until a more normal retirement age beckoned.

BIG Molecules.- Rubber in the 19th Century.- Cellulose and Casein in the 19th Century.- Macromolecules in the 20th Century.- Thermoplastic and Thermosetting Polymers.- The Burgeoning of Modern Plastics.- Physical Properties of Polymers.- Chemical Properties of Polymers.- Initiation of Polymerization.- Copolymers.- Ethical Issues.- The Chronology of Polymers.- Summary and Conclusion.- A Few Suggestions for Further Reading.- References.- Glossary.- Acronyms, and Initialism.- Index.- Acknowledgements.

"This book represents an essential source of information, with many examples of the most widely used and important type of materials today, the polymers, for the reader to appreciate and understand their essential role in everyday life. Thus, the book is a very useful tool for students and scientists from different disciplines, as well as for lay readers interested in the interdisciplinary field of materials science." (Bogdan Marian Tofanica, Cellulose Chemistry and Technology, Vol. 53 (1-2), 2019)

“This book represents an essential source of information, with many examples of the most widely used and important type of materials today, the polymers, for the reader to appreciate and understand their essential role in everyday life. Thus, the book is a very useful tool for students and scientists from different disciplines, as well as for lay readers interested in the interdisciplinary field of materials science.” (Bogdan Marian Tofanica, Cellulose Chemistry and Technology, Vol. 53 (1-2), 2019)