Frost Resistance of Polymers

Papers by Soviet and foreign authors on the problem of frost resistance are surveyed, and definitions are suggested for the concepts of the technical and the theoretical frost resistance of polymers. Existing qualitative methods for determining the frost resistance of various types of polymeric materials are discussed, together with quantitative methods proposed by Soviet authors, in particular those based on the thermomechanical method of investigation. Data are reported on the dependence of frost resistance on the previous history of the production and processing of polymers, the nature and duration of aging, the action of plasticisers, fillers, etc. The bibliography contains 91 references.