Polymeric Carbons: Carbon Fibre, Glass and Char - Technical

Our review of Polymeric Carbons: Carbon Fibre, Glass and Char finds it most valuable for engineers, materials scientists and advanced students seeking a focused, historical technical reference on carbon materials. The book's single biggest reason to buy is its concentrated treatment of how common polymers transform into diverse carbons and how those processes link to mechanical and electronic properties, making it a practical companion for research or teaching rather than a general audience overview.

Key Features

• Clear focus on transformation: The book explains how many polymers convert directly into carbons without a liquid intermediate, clarifying a fundamental manufacturing pathway.
• Coverage of different carbon types: It contrasts isotropic glassy carbon from phenolic resins with high-stiffness carbon fibre from polyacrylonitrile, helping readers compare end properties.
• Manufacture guidance: The authors bring together experimental data and process descriptions that describe manufacture routes for polymetric carbons.
• Property correlations: Physical, mechanical and chemical properties are related to manufacture and structure to inform material selection and design.
• Historical technical data: Published in 1976, the text captures original measurements and insights valuable for archival comparison or foundational study.

Who It's For

The book is best for practicing materials scientists, mechanical and aerospace engineers, and graduate students who need a technical reference on carbon production, properties and early carbon fibre research. It serves well in academic labs and design groups wanting a deeper look at structure-property links and historical process descriptions.

Those seeking a modern composite design handbook, up-to-date manufacturing standards, or a beginner introduction to composites should look elsewhere; newer texts will cover contemporary composite processing and current industrial practices more fully.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Detailed explanation of polymer-to-carbon transformations that aids understanding of manufacturing chemistry.
• Direct comparison of glassy carbon and carbon fibre highlights practical differences in hardness and stiffness.
• Includes empirical data and property relationships useful for research and teaching.

Cons

• Being a 1976 publication, it lacks up-to-date processing advances and modern composite fabrication techniques.

Specifications

Title	Polymeric Carbons: Carbon Fibre, Glass and Char
Author	Gwyn Morgan Jenkins
Subject focus	Manufacture and properties of polymetric carbons
Carbon types discussed	Glassy carbon, carbon fibre, carbon-fibre-reinforced carbon
Included content	Physical, mechanical and chemical property descriptions
Publication era	1976 (foundational technical data)

Our Verdict

Polymeric Carbons: Carbon Fibre, Glass and Char is a focused, valuable technical resource for researchers and advanced students who need original data and explanations of polymer conversion to carbon and resulting properties. It represents good value as a historical and foundational reference, though readers seeking modern processing methods should supplement it with current literature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the book explain how carbon fibre is produced?
The text describes how polyacrylonitrile fibres yield carbon fibre and discusses the resulting stiffness and strength characteristics.

Is this a practical manufacturing guide?
It provides manufacturing descriptions and experimental data relevant to production, but it is a historical technical reference rather than a step-by-step modern manufacturing manual.

Who benefits most from reading this book?
Materials scientists, engineers and graduate students researching carbon materials or teaching foundational concepts will gain the most from the book.