Book excerpt: The Plastics Handbook provides everything important there is to know about plastics, comprehensively compiled in a compact and well-organized format. From material properties to machines, processing, and applications, the user will find detailed information that allows the successful implementation of new materials and technologies. This concise, competent, modern reference not only explains the basic facts and interrelationships, but also serves as a practical guide for engineers to help them succeed in today's challenging, global industrial world. Searching for specific materials, properties, or any other information is particularly easy, because the reader also has free access to the electronic version of the book. The 5th edition is comprehensively updated throughout, with a new clearer layout. Also now in full color! Contents: - Common Acronyms in Plastics Technology - Introduction (Economic Significance, Classification, Composition, Effects of Processing on Properties, Modifications of Plastic Materials) - Material Properties and Testing Methods - Plastic Processing Technologies - Plastic Materials - Additives, Fillers, and Fibers - Material Properties Overview