Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of Synthetic Polymers

Abstract

Synthetic polymers have had a great impact on a wide variety of applications. The earliest synthetic polymers were modeled after natural polymers and were used for such applications as rubbers, coatings, and adhesives. Several developments during the past several decades, including the increasing availability and variety of monomers, improved understanding of polymerization reactions, and improvements in processing technology caused a sharp increase in the production of synthetic polymers [1]. At the present time, polymers that possess a wide variety of properties, such as electrical conductivity, high strength, thermal resistivity, and low gas permeability, can be prepared for specific applications.