Henryk Galina Livres

This volume of Macromolecular Symposia contains lectures presented at the 15th Polymer Networks Group Meeting held in Crackow, Poland in July, 2000. Polymer networks are now recognized as a distinct and valuable field of study. This view is reflected in the high level of interest shown by participants at the meeting. In addition to theoretical findings, the topics covered by this volume include interpenetrating networks---their formation, structure and properties---and heterogeneous, filled and hybrid networks. Research into the properties of hydrophilic and hydrophobic gels is also presented, as are studies of thermoset formation and the structure of sulfur.

Most untreated polymer surfaces in industry are hydrophobic, making it challenging to bond them directly to polar substances like adhesives, inks, and paints. When these surfaces come into contact with biological systems, they tend to adsorb proteins, leading to cell attachment or platelet aggregation. This protein adsorption can trigger adverse biological reactions towards the polymers. Consequently, surface modification technologies have become crucial in polymer applications since the inception of the industry. These technologies focus on introducing new functionalities to polymer surfaces, enhancing properties such as hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, biocompatibility, conductivity, anti-fogging, anti-fouling, grazing, surface hardness, roughness, adhesion, lubrication, and antistatic characteristics. While there is typically a significant difference between the surface and bulk properties of materials, this distinction is less pronounced in polymers. The outermost polymer surface is not static; it changes over time due to the microscopic Brownian motion of polymer segments, complicating the understanding of surface properties.