You may want to begin your search for information in one of the specialized reference handbooks and encyclopedias listed below. All of these reference works are shelved in the UGL/SEL Reference Collection on the 1st Floor of Capen Hall, unless otherwise noted.

• Comprehensive Desk Reference of Polymer Characterization and Analysis , R.F. Brady, Jr., 2003
  UGL/SEL REF QD139 .P6 C66
  Intended for the "entry-level polymer scientist," this book is a practical manual on the various analytical techniques used to characterize polymers, specifically synthetic polymers.
• Industrial Polymers Handbook , E.S. Wilks, 2001, 4 vols.
  UGL/SEL REF QD388 .I53 2001
  A multi-volume work covering industrially important polymers, both naturally occurring and synthetic. Part 1 describes polymerization processes in detail and addresses trends in polymer reaction engineering, polymerization mechanisms and kinetics, and reactor modeling. Part 2 includes a comprehensive presentation of source-based and structure-based polymer nomenclature and covers descriptions of the syntheses and characteristics of the industrially important polymer classes. Part 3 covers biopolymers and their derivatives.
• Polymer Handbook , J. Brandrup & E.H. Immergut, 4th ed., 1999
  UGL/SEL REF QD388 .P65
  Contains over 70 tables with data and constants for polymers. Tables are divided into eight sections: nomenclature rules; polymerization and depolymerization; physical properties of monomers and solvents; physical data of oligomers; physical constants of important polymers; solid state properties; solution properties; and abbreviations of polymers. Also includes phase diagrams.
• Engineered Plastics , vol. 2 of the Engineered Materials Handbook , ASM, 1987-1995
  UGL/SEL REF TA403 .E497
  This volume covers general design considerations, engineering plastics families, manufacturing process selection (including economic factors), properties considerations, testing and characterization, materials selection (including interpreting supplier data sheets and the economics of materials), structural analysis and design, and failure analysis.
• Physical Properties of Polymers Handbook , J.E. Mark, 1996
  UGL/SEL REF TA455 .P58 P475
  This handbook consists of individual sections written by experts which cover the properties of polymeric materials--particularly those properties most relevant to the areas of physical chemistry and chemical physics. Includes tables, graphs, equations, and extensive references to the research literature.
• Polymer Data Handbook , J.E. Mark, 1999
  UGL/SEL REF TA455 .P58 P675
  This handbook provides concise information in tabular format on the syntheses, structures, properties, and applications of polymeric materials. Members of the UB community can access an online version of the handbook.
• Properties of Polymers , D.W. Van Krevelen, 3rd ed., 1990
  UGL/SEL Ref TA455 .P58 V35
  This book correlates known properties of polymers with chemical structure and provides methods for estimating the most basic properties when measurements are not available. The book covers thermophysical characteristics, properties in a force field, transport properties, chemical stability and breakdown. An appendix gives trade names and manufacturers.
• Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry , W. Gerhartz, executive editor, 5th ed., 1985
  UGL/SEL Ref TP9 .U57 1985
  A comprehensive encyclopedia on industrial chemistry with extensive information on polymers and plastics. The 6th edition of the encyclopedia is available to the UB community online via http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/ullmanns.html. Once connected, select Browse Articles By: Subject and then scroll down to Polymer and Plastics .
• Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Engineering , 17 vols., 1985-1990
  UGL/SEL REF TP156 .P6 E5
  This 17-volume encyclopedia is the standard reference work on all topics relating to polymer science and plastics technology. It provides an exhaustive treatise on polymer science and engineering methods, materials, and applications.
• Polymeric Materials Encyclopedia , J.C. Salamone, 12 vols., 1996
  UGL/SEL REF TP1110 .P65
  Comprehensive encyclopedia dealing with the chemical and chemical engineering aspects of polymer synthesis and characterization. This 12-volume set contains over 1100 review-type articles on the various general and specific chemical classes of polymers, with a particular focus on their synthesis, properties, and applications.
• Handbook of Plastic Materials and Technology , I.I. Rubin, 1990
  UGL/SEL REF TP1130 .H35
  Published by the Society of Plastics Engineers, this handbook provides a single source of basic information on plastics materials, processing, and technology. Extensive appendices rank plastics materials according to a variety of properties, including density, tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural modulus, percent elongation to break, Izod notched impact, heat-distortion temperature at 264 psi, and dielectric strength.
• Plastics Engineering Handbook of the Society of the Plastics Industry , 1991
  UGL/SEL REF TP1130 .S58
  Comprehensive manual for plastics processing. Chapter 1 provides a glossary of terms in use in the plastics industry. Chapters 2 and 3 cover the range of polymer materials, providing an understanding of their basic chemistry and supplying a description of the families of plastics, their physical and chemical properties, and their applications. Chapters 4-20 cover the most widely used methods of plastics processing, while Chapters 21-27 cover equipment, preparation for processing, machining and assembly, and test methods. The handbook is also available for access online to members of the UB community via Knovel E-Books.

Note: There are over 100 other reference books and textbooks on plastics and polymers available online through Knovel E-Books covering the design, properties, characterization, processing, and testing of these materials. Connect to Knovel; once connected, select "Plastics & Rubber."

To expand your search for books , use BISON, the University Libraries Catalog, which provides information on the location and availability of over three million books, conference proceedings, journals, and other materials owned by the UB Libraries. You can connect to BISON at http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/bison/. BISON can be searched by author, title, and subject. You can also search the catalog by keyword, combining words and phrases. For example, click on Keyword and enter the terms: polymer? and rheolog? The word "and" in the above keyword search directs the computer to retrieve records that contain both of your search terms. The question mark ( ? ) is a truncation, or wildcard, symbol and will pull up records with all forms of the words, i.e., polymer , polymers , rheology , rheological , etc. After searching BISON, you can further expand your search for books using WorldCat, a mega-catalog with 40+ million records for books and other materials owned by more than 20,000 libraries around the world. To connect to WorldCat. If you find a book in WorldCat that isn't available at UB, you can request that we borrow it for you from another library using ILLiad, our Interlibrary Loan Service.

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To search for journal articles by topic, use a database, such as those listed below. These databases will provide you with a list of references, or citations, to journal articles (as well as, in some cases, conference papers, technical reports, dissertations, government documents, etc.). In addition to providing you with a complete reference (author's name, article title, journal name, volume/issue number, page numbers, and date), many databases also provide an abstract, or summary, of the article. Some of these databases also provide full text - see descriptions below for each database .

• COMPENDEX Plus ( Engineering Index )
  http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/compendex.html
  Provides references plus abstracts ( as well as selected full text ) to journal articles and conference papers in all areas of engineering. Available online for the years 1980 to the present. To determine if the article you want is available online, click on the External Link Resolver button.

• SciFinder Scholar
  http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/sfs.html
  The major guide to the chemical literature, providing access to journal articles, conference papers, patents, dissertations, books, and technical reports in chemistry, chemical engineering, biomedical and medicinal chemistry, biotechnology, and materials science including polymer science and technology for the years 1907 to the present (with full text access where available). You must download software that will allow you to search this database from your desktop.

• Science Citation Index Expanded
  http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/sci.html
  Provides citations plus abstracts and selected full text where available to journal articles on a wide range of scientific and technical topics. SCI has the unique feature of allowing you to search by cited author or cited reference. Click on the SFX button to check and see if there is full-text available online. Coverage online is for the years 1973 to the present.

• ABI/Inform Global
  http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/abi.html
  Provides citations with abstracts ( and in many cases the full text ) of articles in over 1,000 business and management science periodicals including trade journals, newsletters, and specialized newspapers. Can be used to research product and company information. Available online for the years 1971 to the present.

• Business Index ASAP
  http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/busindex.html
  Provides citations with abstracts and and, in most cases, the full text of articles taken from over 900 business, management, and trade publications, over 150 local business newspapers, and a number of wire services covering all topics within business including new technologies and products. Coverage is for the years 1980 to the present.

How to Determine if UB Owns the Particular Journal Article You Need
To determine if UB owns the journal containing the article cited in your reference, you need to search BISON, the UB Libraries catalog. In BISON, click on Title and then type in the full name of the journal, for example:

advances in polymer technology

You will get a Title Index screen listing both the print version (number 1) and, if we have an electronic subscription, the online version (number 2) of the journal:

1 ADVANCES IN POLYMER TECHNOLOGY serial (GL)
2 ADVANCES IN POLYMER TECHNOLOGY ONLINE serial (GL)

The record for the online version of the journal will include a hot-linked URL that will take you to the web page for the journal and the full text of articles published in it for a specific span of years . Be sure to check the date of the article you need and match that up with the coverage in the electronic journal. If your article falls outside the specified date range for online coverage, then you will need to use the print journal, which will be shelved by call number on the 3rd floor of Capen Hall in the Science & Engineering Library. If we don't have the journal in print or online format, we can still arrange to get a copy of an article you need for you from another library through ILLiad, our InterLibrary Loan service.

Browsing Journals
Another way to search for articles is to browse current issues of journals and magazines. Below is a list of selected journals at UB related to polymer science and engineering.

SEL Per TP156 .P6 R42

Title	Online Access	UB Print Call Number
Advances in Polymer Technology	Full text available 1996+ via UB's subscription to Wiley InterScience Journals	SEL Per TP1101 .A38
Journal of Applied Polymer Science	Full text available 1996+ via UB's subscription to Wiley InterScience Journals	SEL Per TP156.P6 J6
Journal of Reinforced Plastics & Composites	Full text available 2002+ http://jrp.sagepub.com/	SEL Per TA455.P55 J68
Modern Plastics	For various options for accessing full text, see the UB Electronic Journals website.	SEL Per TP986.A1 M6
Plastics Engineering		SEL Per TP1101 .P513
Plastics Technology		SEL Per TP1101 .P557 (1955-75)
Polymer Engineering and Science		SEL Per TP986.A1 S5722
Polymer International	Full text access 1996+ via UB's subscription to Wiley InterScience Journals
Polymers for Advanced Technologies	Full text access 1996+ via UB's subscription to Wiley InterScience Journals
Reactive & Functional Polymers	Full text access 1995+ via UB's subscription to ScienceDirect
Reinforced Plastics	Full text access 1995+ via UB's subscription to ScienceDirect

See also, the UB Electronic Journals collection at http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/ft.html.

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Technical reports are typically used to report the progress of research and development activities. The UB Science & Engineering Library has a collection of several million technical reports, most of which are on microfiche. They are shelved on the second floor of SEL near the reference area. The database below will provide you with references for reports, including their report/accession number, which we use to file reports in our microfiche collection. A reference librarian can help you determine whether or not we have the technical report you are looking for and locate it for you.

• NTIS (federally-sponsored R+D) - Provides citations and abstracts for technical reports describing government-sponsored research from 1990 to the present.

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• Modern Plastics World Encyclopedia with Buyers Guide
  SEL REF TP986 .A1 M62
  See also: http://www.modplas.com/

• Thomas Register of American Manufacturers & Thomas Register Catalog File
  93rd ed., 2003 LOCKWOOD REF HD9723 .T4
  Free Online access: http://www.thomasregister.com/

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Patents are a rich source of scientific and technical information. The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office Patent Full-Text and Full-Page Image Databases at http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html contain the full text of U.S. patents and patent applications. The Issued Patents Database contains the full text content of U.S. patents issued from 1790 to the present. Patents from 1790-1975 can be searched by patent number and classification code only . Patents from 1976 to the present can be searched by keyword as well as patent number, classification code, inventor's name, assignee's (company's) name, primary examiner's name, issue and application date, etc. The Patent Applications Database contains the full text of patent applications from March 15, 2001, to the present.

NOTE: The full-page images available through the site, which include all of the drawings for a patent, are in a compressed TIFF format that requires special software for viewing. For more information on how to download this software, see http://www.uspto.gov/patft/help/images.htm.

For other patent databases, see Patents, Copyright, and Intellectual Property.

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Internet sites can be an important source for information on "cutting edge" research as well as on commercial applications of technology in business and industry.

Society of Plastics Engineers
http://www.4spe.org/
The Society of Plastics Engineers is an international organization based in the U.S. dedicated to helping individuals in the plastics industry attain higher professional status through increased scientific, engineering, and technical knowledge. The website contains information about the society, its activities, and its publications.

Society of the Plastics Industry
http://www.plasticsindustry.org/
The Society of the Plastics Industry is a trade association which represents all segments of the plastics industry and is responsible for more than 75 percent of the plastics raw materials and products manufactured in the United States. The extensive website provides details about the association and its publications as well as current events and news, industry and statistical information, standards, trade shows, and other related resources.

How to Search the Internet Yourself
To search the Internet yourself, use a search engine such as Google. For example, in Google, you might enter the following search string: +polymer* +"medical equipment"

The plus signs (+) direct the search engine to retrieve only those records which contain all of the terms. The asterisk (*) is the truncation symbol and directs the search engine to search on all forms of those words. By enclosing the words medical equipment inside quotation marks, Google searches for those two words as a phrase, next to one another and in that order.

For links to major search engines and directories, see the UB Libraries World Wide Web Search Guide. For tips on how to search effectively using these tools, see Search Engine Features for Searchers.

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