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Polymers and Plastics

Guide to Reference Sources


This bibliography is intended as a basic guide to important printed resources in this subject area.
Titles marked with star are particularly recommended.

HANDBOOKS AND ENCYCLOPEDIAS

Compendium of polymer terminology and nomenclature.
QD 380.6 M47 2009 Reference
IUPAC's systematic definitions and rules for the naming of polymer molecules, assemblies, solutions, and crystals. Known as the "Purple Book."

Comprehensive desk reference of polymer characterization and analysis.
QD 139 P6 C66 2003 Reference
Practical manual of basic principles and measurements related to physical structure and properties of synthetic polymers.

Comprehensive polymer science.
QD 381 C66 1989 Reference; 7 vols.
Treatise covering the basic concepts of polymer science, focusing on synthetic polymers. Cumulative subject index in vol. 7.

Kirk Othmer encyclopedia of chemical technology. 5th ed. star e-book
TP 9 K54 2004 Reference, 27 vols.
Excellent information source presents a wealth of information on preparation, manufacturing processes, uses of materials, properties of chemical substances, and chemistry fundamentals. Also available online.

Encyclopedia of polymer science and technology. 3rd ed. star
TP 1110 E53 2003 Reference; 12 vols.
Covers all aspects of polymer sciences (physics, chemistry, biology) and engineering. Articles contain extensive bibliographies.

Encyclopedic dictionary of polymers.
TP 1110 E43 2007 Reference; 2 vols.

Physical properties of polymers handbook. 2nd ed.
TA 455 P58 P475 2007 Reference
Chapters on polymer properties relevant to physical chemistry and chemical physics.

Polymer data handbook.
TA 455 P58 P675 2009 Reference
Concise information on syntheses, structures, properties, and applications of more than 200 commercially important polymers.

Polymer handbook. 4th ed. star
QD 388 P65 1999 Reference
This well known handbook contains extensive data tables for synthetic polymers and oligomers, excluding biopolymers and spectroscopic data. With a list of polymer name abbreviations and a general subject index.

Polymer science dictionary. 2nd ed.
QD 380.3 A52 1997 Reference
Dictionary covering the non-technology areas of polymer science, including some biopolymers, but not nucleic acids. Entries for both basic concepts and individual polymers and trade names.

Polymeric materials encyclopedia.
TP 1110 P65 1996 Reference; 12 vols.
1166 articles by worldwide experts on the synthesis, properties, and applications of polymeric systems. Subject index in vol. 12.

Polymers - a Properties Database U.T. restricted star
Searchable electronic reference book on properties and applications of important polymers.

PLASTICS

Concise encyclopedia of plastics.
TP 1110 R66 2000 Reference
25,000 A to Z concise entries covering information and terminology from the plastics industry. Also contains several review chapters on the "World of Plastics."

Condensed encyclopedia of polymer engineering terms.
TP 1087 C477 2001 Reference
Working definitions and explanations for nearly 400 terms used in the polymer and plastics industry.

Handbook of plastic compounds, elastomers, and resins.
TP 1130 A84 1992 Reference
Trade name guide for the plastics and rubber industries. Pt. 1: tradenames by product category; pt. 2: tradename alphabetical listing; pt. 3: chemical component listing; pt. 4: manufacturers directory. Useful but far from comprehensive.

International plastics handbook.
TP 1130 I58 2006 Reference
Compact handbook on the structures, properties, design, and processes related to important plastics.

McGraw-Hill's hazardous chemical safety guide for the plastics industry.
TP 1130 P64 2000 Reference
Data on over 600 hazardous chemicals used in the plastics industry. With synonym/trade name and CAS registry number indexes.

Plastics engineering handbook. 5th ed.
TP 1130 S58 1991 Stacks
Manual of the Society of the Plastics Industry, with a glossary, chapters on materials and processing methods, and index.

Plastics handbook.
TP 1130 P555 1994 Reference
Short overviews of materials, processes, and equipment used in plastics fabrication, compiled by the magazine Modern Plastics.

Polymer lexicon.
TP 1087 B43 1998 Reference
More than 5000 abbreviations and acronyms used in the rubber and plastics industries.

Polymer technology dictionary.
TP 1110 W45 1994 Reference
Complementary volume to Polymer Science Dictionary, providing information on the processing, testing, and properties of polymeric materials.

Rosato's plastics encyclopedia and dictionary.
TP 1110 R67 1993 Reference
Definitions of 11,000 commonly used plastics terms and expressions.

Thermoplastics : directory and databook.
TP 1180 T5 B33 1997 Reference
Selection guide for commercial thermoplastics. Includes an introductory review, directory of suppliers, property data on commercial thermoplastics, and indexes by trade name, generic name, and abbreviations.

POLYMER SPECTRA

Printed collections of spectra of polymers, plastics, rubbers, and other macromolecular substances are included on the Spectra and Spectral Data guide. Look for sources marked with a P icon. In addition, a brief pathfinder for the CH 317 IR spectra assignment can be found here.

LITERATURE

SciFinder provides online access to the Chemical Abstracts family of databases. It is the primary tool for searching the journal and patent literature for information about polymers and plastics.

Key Journals

For information about print and electronic holdings of these and other journals, search the Library Catalog and/or the Find a Journal page.

BOOKS

Books on polymer topics are scattered across a number of areas of the Library of Congress Classification system, depending on their focus: