Specialty polymers are noted for their ability to retain valuable mechanical, thermal, and chemical characteristics when subjected to harsh environments, such as high temperature, high pressure, and corrosive chemicals. This new volume focuses on specialty polymers and polymer-based materials in novel application areas, discussing the synthesis and preparation methods, the materials derived from them, and how they are applied. The volume touches on applications that vary from biomedical and defense to high-performance coatings and smart materials for catalytic, agricultural, environmental, and packaging applications. Chapters explore the characteristic and distinct properties of specialty polymers, such as biodegradability, high performance, smart behaviors, and other distinct characteristics, along with their diverse applications, such as in oil fields, focusing on carbon geo-storage; for agricultural uses of various polymeric nanocomposites; for smart polymeric coatings and adhesives, including edible polymers and their applications in the food packaging industry; in biosensor design; and more.

Shrikaant Kulkarni, PhD, is an Adjunct Professor of Business at the Victoria Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Australia, as well as an Adjunct Professor at the Centre of Research Outcome and Impact at Chitkara University, Punjab, India. Dr. Kulkarni has been a senior academician and researcher for over four decades. He has delivered invited lectures and conducted sessions at national and international conferences and faculty development programs. He has guided many major and minor projects in engineering chemistry, green chemistry, nanotechnology, analytical chemistry, catalysis, chemical engineering materials, industrial organization, management, and AI. He has published over 100 research papers in national and international journals and conferences, authored more than 50 book chapters, and edited 25 books published by international publishers, with additional books in the offing. He has also authored four textbooks in engineering chemistry.

Vasi Shaikh, PhD, is Professor and Associate Dean of the School of Science and Environmental Studies, where he established the Polymer Chemistry Research Laboratory and an industryoriented postgraduate program in industrial polymer chemistry. He has over 30 years of experience in education, research, and industry. He was awarded the Ideal Teacher Award and the Best Teacher Award by MIT-WPU and Savitribai Phule Pune University, respectively. He has published book chapters and articles in national and international journals, presented at conferences and given invit ed talks, worked on several research projects, and consulted on various projects. His areas of research include LCPs, microplastics, plant extract-derived nanoparticles and nanocomposites in drug applications, water purification, green and biomaterials, etc. He started his career as a production chemist with Asian Paints (I) Ltd. and worked as a junior and senior research fellow on DST-sponsored research projects.