Advances in Screw Processing and Rheology of Polymeric Materials—In Memory of Professor James Lindsay White

Dear Colleagues,

Screw processing is fundamental for the polymer processing industry and includes many techniques of extrusion and injection molding, e.g., single-screw extrusion and twin-screw extrusion, both co-rotating and counter-rotating, injection molding and specialized injection techniques, as well as extrusion blow molding and injection blow molding. These techniques allow for the conversion from a bulk polymeric material to a product of diverse specifications, and involve interactions between process thermomechanical field, material characteristics, and product properties. 

Rheology is a science concerning real materials that exibit complicated superimposition of liquid-like and solid-like properties. It is closely related to the time scale in which these properties are observed. The ancient saying can be cited that “everything flows” (gr. “pantha rhei”), and only the time scale in which we observe the phenomenon determines whether the flow can be observed. Literally, rheology means the study of flow.

Polymers are materials that exhibit complex properties of solids and liquids in a time scale that allows to observe them in everyday life. These properties are observed in practice, e.g., in polymer processing. It can be said that rheology is the basis for polymer processing. It is also the basis for modeling and process engineering design.

This Topical Collection is dedicated to advances in screw processing and rheology of polymeric materials, and novelty is crucial in this Topical Collection. Invited and submitted research and review articles may be devoted to rheology as the basis for polymer processing, as well as to material compounding and product manufacturing, novel designs and technology concepts, material aspects of processing, modeling and simulation, both for the process and molding tools (e.g., extrusion dies and injection molds), optimization and scale-up, and artificial intelligence applications. The Topical Collection is not limited with respect to the type of polymeric materials, and studies on screw processing of polymer blends and composites are also encouraged. The goal of this Topical Collection is to present the latest achievements and trends for future development in rheology and screw processing. Since Prof. White had a great knowledge of world history, and was an expert in the history of polymer engineering, papers on the history of rheology and polymer processing are also invited.

Special Statement: This Topical Collection of Polymers is dedicated to the memory of Professor James Lindsay White who passed away ten years ago (1938–2009). Prof. White was a pioneer in establishing polymer processing as an academic discipline. Various polymer institutions, societies and industries around the world have recognized his many fundamental research contributions in rheology and polymer processing. He published over 500 papers in international journals. He also published eight books on the subjects of rheology, polymeric materials and polymer processing, and received numerous awards for his accomplishments, such as the Bingham Medal of the Society of Rheology, Charles Goodyear Medal of the American Chemical Society, Yuko-Sho Award of the Japanese Society of Rheology, Heinz Herrmann Award of the Society of Plastics Engineers, and many others. Prof. White served The University of Tennessee as the Professor of Polymer Science and Engineering, and The University of Akron as the Harold A. Morton Professor of Polymer Engineering. Prof. White is the father of the International Polymer Processing Society which was founded to foster scientific understanding and technical innovation in polymer processing by providing a discussion forum for the worldwide community of engineers and scientists in the field. He also founded two scholarly journals: the Journal of Polymer Engineering and the International Polymer Processing Journal. Prof. White was a man of encyclopedic knowledge and great erudition. He had a great knowledge of world history, and he was an expert in the history of polymer engineering. The Collection Editor of this Topical Collection had a chance to stay in The University of Akron as a Fulbright Scholar working with Prof. White. Later, Prof. White visited Warsaw University of Technology several times, showing his special consideration to our youth, students and PhD students. We remember Prof. James Lindsay White with the highest respect for everything he did for the polymer processing community.

Prof. Dr. Krzysztof Wilczyński
Dr. Andrzej Nastaj
Dr. Adrian Lewandowski
Dr. Krzysztof J. Wilczyński
Dr. Kamila Buziak
Collection Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• rheology and rheometry
• extrusion and injection molding
• design and technology concepts
• material, process and product interactions
• modeling, simulation and optimization
• CAD/CAE for designing extrusion dies and injection molds
• polymeric materials, polyblends and composites