Book excerpt: I am pleased to present the Fifth Edition of the Plastics Engineering Handbook. Last published in 1976, this version of the standard industry reference on plastics processing incorporates the numerous revisions and additions necessitated by 14 years of activity in a dynamic industry. At that last printing, then-SPI President Ralph L. Harding, Jr. anticipated that plastics pro duction would top 26 billion pounds in 1976 (up from 1.25 billion in 1947, when the First Edition of this book was issued). As I write, plastics production in the United States had reached almost 60 billion pounds annually. Indeed, the story of the U.S. plastics industry always has been one of phenomenal growth and unparalleled innovation. While these factors make compilation of a book such as this difficult, they also make it necessary. Thus I acknowledge all those who worked to gather and relate the information included in this 1991 edition and thank them for the effort it took to make the Plastics Engineering Handbook a definitive source and invaluable tool for our industry. Larry L. Thomas President The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc.