Polymers (1995)

The following summary list of current and promising polymer research topics is necessarily quite brief. The field is large and will continue to have a great impact on all levels of society for the foreseeable future.

• Growing use of polymers as biomaterials

  • Seasickness patches

  • Prostheses—hip cups, lenses, blood vessels, orthopedic implants, denture bases, fillings, sutures, heart valves, organs, vascular grafts, hernia mesh, catheters, syringes, diapers, blood bags, artificial limbs, ligaments, packaging

  • Controlled release

  • Diagnostics

• Emerging electronic properties of polymers

  • Dielectrics

  • Synthetic metals and battery materials

  • Sensors

  • Lithographic resists

  • Photonic materials

  • Light-emitting diodes and displays

  • Electrophotography

  • Holography

  • Fuel cells

  • Solar cells

• Emergence of synthetic means for control of polymer structures

  • Coordination catalysts

  • Biocatalysis, enzyme synthesis, biological organisms for synthesizing monomers and polymers

  • Ring-opening metathesis polymerization

  • Hybrid organic-inorganic materials synthesis, sol gel formation

  • Dendritic polymers

  • Composites with tailored transport, electrical, or optical properties

• Growing use of blends and composites to obtain “tailored” properties

  • High-strength, high-modulus fibers

  • Enhanced matrix choices

  • “Tailored” mechanical properties

  • High-stability toughening additives

  • High-temperature options

  • Understanding of failure mechanisms

• Enhanced characterization capability through computer and electronic advances

  • Molecular: colligative, light scattering, centrifuged separation, NMR, UV, FTIR, RAMAN

  • Solutions, melts: rheology, diffusion, neutron scattering

  • Solid state: synchrotron x-ray and electron spectroscopy, TEM, soft x-ray microscopy, mechanical testing

  • Surface analysis: XPS, depth profiling, SIMS, SFA, AMF, LFM

  • Folding: NMR

  • New microscopies: confocal and scanning tunneling

• Evolution of polymer theory with emphasis on computer modeling and simulation

  • States of matter: solutions, crystalline, amorphous, LCs, blends, block polymers, copolymers, interfaces, surfaces

• Dynamic properties: rheology, mechanical properties, electroactive

• Methods: force field simulations, coarse-grained simulations

• Continuing reduction of environmental threats

  • Elimination of toxic components

  • Replacement of plastics by natural materials

  • Recycling

• Continuing search for viable recycling strategies

  • Collection problems: separation, contamination

  • Blending: properties of mixtures

  • Processing: to return to monomer or other feedstock type

  • Other means of disposal: incineration, landfill

• Enhanced process control through computer and sensor applications

  • Molding

  • Extrusion

  • Film blowing

  • Coating

• Continuing substitution of polymers for metals and other materials

  • Aircraft, space vehicles

  • Automobiles

  • Clothing

  • Machined parts

  • Construction

  • Electronics

  • Marine structures and vehicles

• Growing use of polymeric materials for wide variety of military items

  • Bullet-proof clothing

  • Uniforms

  • Aircraft weight reduction

• Growing understanding of structure-property relationships

  • Finite-element analysis

  • Flow modeling, rheology

  • Simulation of structures of composites, blends, crystalline polymers