Polymer Research in Microgravity Polymerization and Processing

by Downey, James Patton; Pojman, John A.

• ISBN13: 9780841237445
• ISBN10: 0841237441
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-09-13
• Publisher: American Chemical Society

Summary

Sixteen papers examine how gravity can affect polymerizations and polymer processing and how weightlessness or "microgravity" is achieved. The volume reviews the current research from sounding rocket and orbital investigations, parabolic flight investigations, and ground-based research. Also covered are inorganic to biologically produced polymers, including free-radical polymerization, polymer-dispersed luquid crystals and foams.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Background
Polymer Processing in Microgravity: An Overview	2	(14)
James Patton Downey
John A. Pojman
Research Platforms That Reduce the Acceleration Experienced in the Experimental Frame of Reference: Achieving ``Microgravity''	16	(16)
James Patton Downey
Sounding Rocket and Orbital Investigations
The Role of Gravity in Sol---Gel Systems	32	(19)
Laurent Sibille
David D. Smith
Growth Kinetics of Polydiacetylene Films Prepared in Microgravity	51	(13)
William E. Carswell
Mark S. Paley
Donald O. Frazier
Robert J. Naumann
Polymerization in Microgravity On-Board STS--57, STS--63, and STS--77	64	(14)
Kenneth G. Brown
Karen S. Burns
Jo Ingram
George M. Wood
Billy T. Upchurch
Production of Polyurethane Foams in Space: Gravitational and Vacuum Effects on Foam Formation	78	(19)
Samuel P. McManus
Francis C. Wessling
John T. Matthews
Darayas N. Patek
Kazunori Emoto
Douglas T. Howard
T. Scott Price
Gel Formation under Microgravity Conditions	97	(15)
V. A. Briskman
K. G. Kostarev
Parabolic Flight Investigations
Bubble Behavior in Frontal Polymerization: Results from KC--135 Parabolic Flights	112	(14)
William J. Ainsworth
John A. Pojman
Yuri A. Chekanov
Jonathan Masere
Instrumentation for Studying Polymer Film Formation in Low Gravity	126	(12)
Paul Todd
Matthew R. Pekny
Jeremiah Zartman
William B. Krantz
Alan R. Greenberg
Liquid Crystal and Polymer Dispersions in a Microgravity Environment	138	(15)
Joe B. Whitehead, Jr.
Gregory P. Crawford
Processing of Nonlinear Optical Polymer Systems under Microgravity Conditions	153	(15)
L. H. Dao
K. Parbhakar
H. M. Nguyen
J. M. Yin
Y. Sun
Y. Beaudoin
Ground-Based Research
Foaming of Polyethylenes in a Dynamic Decompression and Cooling Process	168	(17)
Kwangjin Song
Robert E. Apfel
Prospects for the Study of Gas-Phase Polymerization and the Synthesis of Polymers Containing Nanoparticles in Microgravity	185	(18)
Yezdi B. Pithawalla
Junling Gao
M. Samy El Shall
Production of Bacterial Polyesters in Simulated Microgravity	203	(14)
Radhika Thiruvenkatam
Carmen Scholz
Development of Impedance Spectroscopy to Study Polymerization Processes in Microgravity	217	(10)
A. P. Kennedy
J. McLendon
Gravity Effects during Mold Filling: Fluid Front Dynamics	227	(18)
M. C. Altan
K. A. Olivero
Author Index	245	(1)
Subject Index	246