The second edition of this popular industrial guide describes over 2,800 currently available epoxy resins, curing agents, compounds, and modifiers, based on information supplied by 71 manufacturers or distributors of these products. Epoxy resins have experienced tremendous growth since their introduction in the 1950s. Future growth will be in new markets in the specialty performance areas and high-technology applications. Each raw material or product is described, as available, with typical assay or checkpoint figures and a brief summary of important features or applications. Additional sections useful to the reader are the Suppliers' Addresses and a Trade Name Index.

Epoxy resins have been commercially available for about 45 years and now have many major industrial applications, especially where technical advantages warrant their somewhat higher costs. The chemistry of these resins is fascinating and has attracted study by many very able scientists. The technological applications of the epoxy resins are very demanding and there are many new developments each year. The aims of the present book are to present in a compact form both theoretical and practical information that will assist in the study, research and innovations in the field of epoxy resin science and technology. The literature on epoxy resins is so vast that it is not possible to be encyclopaedic and that is not the function of the present text. It is the editor's hope that the selection of topics discussed will provide an up-to-date survey. There is some overlap in the chapters but this is minimal and so each chapter is essentially self contained. As with all chemicals there are toxicological and other hazards. These are not dealt with in this text since a little knowledge can be dangerous, but material supplied can provide information regarding any safety precautions that may be necessary. However, often these precautions are not onerous and epoxy resins, or more specifically the hardeners, can be handled readily. It is hoped that this text will provide an up-to-date outline of the science and technology of epoxy resins and stimulate further research into unsolved problems and assist further technological developments.

The author reviews the synthesis, manufacture and characterisation of epoxy monomers, cure reactions of epoxy resins, spectroscopic and analytical methods of studying cure, techniques for the modelling of cure, the use of additives and modifiers, and technologically driven advances in applications. An additional indexed section containing several hundred abstracts from the Rapra Polymer Library database provides useful references for further reading.

Polymeric materials are widely used during nearly all stages of the manufacturing process of electronics products and this book is intended to give an introductory overview of the chemistry, properties and uses of some of the more important classes of materials likely to be encountered in these applications. It is intended to serve primarily as an introduction to the use of polymers and plastics in the processing and manufacture of electronic and electrical components and assemblies. With no in-depth knowledge of polymers assumed, the book is ideal for engineers and researchers working in areas where electronics and polymer technology overlap. There are also numerous references for those wishing to delve deeper. The first edition of this book was published in 1985 and since then there has been an unbelievable change and growth in the electronics industry. Much of this has been made possible by the continued development of new and improved polymeric materials. In some areas the polymers used have changed markedly whereas in others there have been continued improvements to the same basic materials. Consequently, this second edition includes new chapters detailing the materials which have emerged more recently. Chapters covering the same topics as the original version have been extensively rewritten and updated, often with the assistance of current international experts. In the last few years much work has been carried out on the development and use of special polymers that have important properties in addition to those normally associated with conventional polymers. This edition therefore includes a chapter that introduces one particular group of materials exhibiting these special properties, the ferroelectric polymers. The book also includes new chapters on high temperature thermoplastics, or engineering plastics as they are sometimes known, and their use in so-called moulded interconnect devices, where the polymer is used to provide a much wider range of functions than has been possible using a more conventional approach. This new edition also has a wider international coverage with chapters by experts based in Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, England and the United States of America.

A new technique for mixing solid curing agents into liquid epoxy resins using ultrasonic energy has been developed. This procedure allows standard curing agents such as 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (4,4'-DDS) and its 3,3'-isomer, (3,3'-DDS) to be mixed without prior melting of the curing agent. It also allows curing agents with very high melt temperatures such as 4,4'-diaminobenzophenone (4,4'-DABP) (242 C) to be mixed without premature curing. Four aromatic diamines were ultrasonically blended into MY-720 epoxy resin. These were 4,4'-DDS; 3,3'-DDS; 4,4'-DABP and 3,3'-DABP. Unfilled moldings were cast and cured for each system and their physical and mechanical properties compared.