7 Feb. 2000
Prof R.D. Sanderson,
Conference Chair, reports:
The Pre-Conference Workshop (8 - 9 April 2000) and the
UNESCO School & IUPAC Conference (10 - 12 April 2000), final programme
is on the web: http://www.sun.ac.za/polymer/conference.html
[download a pdf version of
the programme - 30KB]
The Workshop provides courses from internationally renowned
scientists selected from the group plenary lecturers. Notes are collected
in overhead projector presentation form as well as written and included
together with the UNESCO School lectures in the virtual encyclopedia
for Macromolecules & Materials Science on CD-ROM.
The School and Conference consists of invited plenaries
throughout each morning session with submitted papers in the afternoon
sessions. The 41 international plenaries cover the following exciting
fields: monomer synthesis and transformations, catalysts and polymer
synthesis (including combinatorial chemistry), inorganic metallocenes
chemistry (chaired by Dr MO Kirsten, author of the UNIDO monograph
on metallocenes), living-free radical chemistry (with the best-known
proponents, Proffs Thang, Mueller & Huddleton), polymer properties
including the world's experts on thermal characterisation, the two
best experts in the world on liquid chromatography separation (Proffs
H Pasch & D Berek), analysis during polymer processing, including
emulsion polymerisations, degradation of polymers (full session) under
chairmanship of Dr S Affolter and including amongst others, Prof H
Zweifel, (author of the book on polymer degradation), advanced materials,
nano-structured systems by one of the best-known leaders in the field
(Prof SI Stupp & others), macromolecular and materials education in
Africa with contribution from Prof D Benachour, Algeria.
Finally, the event will be closed by four short talks
from technical directors of four South African companies including
Rohm & Haas, BASF, Plascon & Polifin.
So far 78 papers expected 120 - 150 delegates, sponsorship
SASOL, Polifin being negotiated.