Integration of Fundamental Polymer Science and Technology―3

The Rolduc Polymer Meetings, of which the contents of this volume represent the third, are already on their way to occupying a unique place in the crowded calendar of symposia on every aspect of polymer science and engineering. They combine manageable meeting size with a theme, 'Integration of Fundamental Polymer Science and Technology', which is often discussed but seldom realized in practice. The technological, or applied, areas of polymers have perhaps received more emphasis historically than those of other allied disciplines. Indeed, various plastic and rubber materials were successful items of commerce long before the macromolecular concept itself was firmly established. The more fundamental aspects of the field were also largely developed in industrial laboratories. The early work of Mark and Meyer at IG Farben, and that of Carrothers and Flory at Du Pont, are good examples of this. The present situation, in which polymers are being applied to more and more demanding end uses, from high performance materials on the one hand to the biomedical and electronics fields on the other, caIls for an ever greater understanding of the basic scientific principles governing their behavior. It is evident, therefore, that interactions between those engaged in the 'pure' and 'applied' parts of the field must be promoted effectively. The Rolduc Polymer Meetings contribute significantly to such interactions, not only by interweaving technological and scientific presentations, but also by providing a forum for the participants to discuss problems of mutual interest in all their complexity.