ADSORBED POLYMER LAYERS IN NONEQUILIBRIUM SITUATIONS

In many applications, the formation of an adsorbed polymer layer is an important process step, the rate of which is crucial to the effect to be achieved. Also, during processing, polymer layers are often expose d to shear and collisions in a highly dynamic situation. Therefore, th e behavior of polymers at and near interfaces under nonequilibrium con ditions is an important field of study. We discuss recent work on the kinetics of adsorption, desorption, and the exchange of uncharged homo polymers and polyelectrolytes. We also consider stretching of polymers in flow fields, both shortly before and after adsorption. Finally, we review recent work on bridging between colloidal particles, which she ds light on the rate of unfolding processes on surfaces, and discuss p olymer transfer between two surfaces in particle collision processes.