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Plastics Engineering
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Pktstics Engineering by R. J. Crawford. Pergamon Press, Oxford, Hardback: US$75.00, f31.25, Paperback: US$25.00, f10.50. 360 pp. 162 iihs. 1961. This typescript text appears to be an expanded version of lecture notes suitable for engineering students, and given the conceptual pattern of modern engineering teaching, is probably well-judged in content and depth. In many matters. the treatment is superficial and only a limited number of topics are covered in each broad area. However, a true engineering flavour comes through: from this point of view, the examples and the questions at the end of each chapter are the most important part of the book. For exampIe, it is only after doing all the questions for chapters 2 and 3 (mechanical properties of plastics) that the reasons for the formal treatment given in the main text becomes
obvious. Purists (like myself) will be disappointed by the imprecision of the author in his use of terms like stress and strain, but will probably reluctantly concede that little practical use has yet come out of the most elaborate and general theories. The chapters on processing of plastics and analysis of polymer melt flow are less satisfactory, in that the calculation procedures given are not all so reliable as the text suggests. For example, those for die swell are taken, without reference, from speculative papers in the literature and so could mislead, while those for die calculations lean, understandably for didactic purposes. towards Newtonian behaviour which is relatively rare in polymer melts. Nevertheless, the balance overall is good, and the text could be useful in the hands of a knowledgeable and experienced teacher able to point out its limitations to students. I. R. A. PEARSON
805
..L...................................._...............................................
Pktstics Engineering by R. J. Crawford. Pergamon Press, Oxford, Hardback: US$75.00, f31.25, Paperback: US$25.00, f10.50. 360 pp. 162 iihs. 1961. This typescript text appears to be an expanded version of lecture notes suitable for engineering students, and given the conceptual pattern of modern engineering teaching, is probably well-judged in content and depth. In many matters. the treatment is superficial and only a limited number of topics are covered in each broad area. However, a true engineering flavour comes through: from this point of view, the examples and the questions at the end of each chapter are the most important part of the book. For exampIe, it is only after doing all the questions for chapters 2 and 3 (mechanical properties of plastics) that the reasons for the formal treatment given in the main text becomes
obvious. Purists (like myself) will be disappointed by the imprecision of the author in his use of terms like stress and strain, but will probably reluctantly concede that little practical use has yet come out of the most elaborate and general theories. The chapters on processing of plastics and analysis of polymer melt flow are less satisfactory, in that the calculation procedures given are not all so reliable as the text suggests. For example, those for die swell are taken, without reference, from speculative papers in the literature and so could mislead, while those for die calculations lean, understandably for didactic purposes. towards Newtonian behaviour which is relatively rare in polymer melts. Nevertheless, the balance overall is good, and the text could be useful in the hands of a knowledgeable and experienced teacher able to point out its limitations to students. I. R. A. PEARSON
805