Plastics Materials, Fifth Edition, reviews developments of plastics materials. The 1980s saw the introduction of many new materials, some of which were highly specialized in their function, particularly in the field of electronics. The book attempts to take such developments into account. It also highlights the commercial importance of materials discussed and includes representative production or consumption statistics. The book begins by tracing the historical development of plastics materials. This is followed by separate chapters on the production of polymers via addition polymerization, condensation polymerization, and rearrangement polymerization; physical states of aggregation of polymers; factors affecting the thermal and mechanical properties of polymers; the relation of structure to the chemical, electrical, and optical properties of plastics; plastics additives; and principles of plastics processing. Subsequent chapters focus on the properties of individual plastics materials. These include polyethylene, polypropylene, vinyl chloride polymers, poly(vinyl acetate), acrylic plastics, polystyrene, vinyl thermoplastics, polyamides and polyimides, polyacetals and related materials, and polycarbonates.