Technological applications of functionalized polymers

Abstract

In most of the major applications of polymeric materials their mechanical properties are often of paramount importance. Even in such applications as electrical insulators their stiffness, cut and abrasion resistance will be of importance as well as their low conductivity. Now, polymers containing specific functional groups are being utilized in analytical and many synthetic organic chemical procedures [1–4], in biologically and pharmacologically active systems, in food additives, and in the field of agricultural chemicals [5]. Following their successful applications in the laboratory and industrial processes, the introduction of active functional groups, other than those previously discussed, into polymers will be discussed in the present article. It is meant only to illustrate selected aspects of more general areas of polymers in the technological uses based on their specific active functional groups, in additon to the advantageous properties of the polymeric material.