High Polymers in Solution

Abstract

Lack of space has made it necessary to leave out certain topics. Rather than to include a discussion of adsorption of polymers on solid surfaces and their spreading in monolayers, it was considered preferable to give a some­ what more detailed analysis of a restricted field. For the same reason no men­ tion is made of polymers which are of direct biological interest. This applies in particular to nucleic acids and nucleoproteins, although these are often discussed in relation to synthetic poly electrolytes. All references to gels and membranes have likewise been omitted, the more so because a recent dis­ cussion (1) deals with membrane properties and because ion-exchange resins and membranes are reviewed elsewhere in this volume. To facilitate the reading, the reviewer has. against his own inclination, adopted a division into sections which, it is realized. is both artificial and arbitrary. Few subjects are less amenable to such an analytical approach as that of polymer solutions, where every property is closely related to al­ most every other. The reader will find that subjects discussed in one section could equally well have been discussed in another. It is hoped that the divi­ sion in sections will not create an impression of inter-independence which in reality does not exist. The literature survey for this review was completed in January 1957 at a time when the December 1956 issues of some journals were not yet available to the author.