Editorial

Citation

(2005), "Editorial", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 34 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.2005.12934daa.001

Editorial

Readers may be aware that the publisher of Pigment & Resin Technology (PRT), Emerald Group Publishing Ltd., offers a range of services aimed at helping authors and potential authors in their science and technology endeavour. The Literati Club (www.emeraldinsight.com) is a good example of such services which provide a virtual community for authors, potential authors and editors. The Editor, through his communications with contributors to PRT, has certainly felt the existence of a scientific and technological community existing among the contributors to PRT. The Editor believes that the inclusion of authors' photograph and biography has helped in creating the sense of such a community. It is thus of no surprise that contributors to the PRT, from all over the world, felt like seeing old friends (although they had never met before) when they met at international conferences and seminars.

With this in mind, the Editor has included, in this issue, contributions from “veteran” authors of the PRT community reflecting their recent R&D interest and progress.

Thus, the group from Materials Science Centre at Indian Institute of Technology reported their recent work on improving the toughness of epoxy resin modified using phenol – nonyl phenol based polymer, following their earlier publication in the same area. Prof. Sun and her colleagues updated us with the results of their continued development of effective treatment for flax fibres in an attempt to improve the dyeability of the flax fibre. The development project addressed a much concerned problem for textile coloration industry and involved a team of international researchers (China and UK).

Through the last couple of years, the group at Faculté des Sciences, Oujda, Morocco, headed by Professor Hammouti, has published a number of papers on the development of new organic corrosion inhibitors. This issue includes a report from this group on their latest development based on bipyrazole derivatives.

Prof. El-Ghaffar heads the Polymers & Pigments Department at the National Research Centre in Cairo. Bearing in mind the similarity between the names of Professor El-Ghaffar's group and of PRT, it is of no surprise that PRT has seen a signification number of papers from Professor El-Ghaffar's group. This issue includes a paper from Professor El-Ghaffar's group on the use of maleic anhydride and epoxidised soyabean oil to improve the compatibility of rubber ingredients and reinforcing fibre. The paper detailed various improved performance properties of the reinforced rubber as a result of the inclusion of the compatibiliser.

The latest contribution from Dr Khalil, another “veteran” contributor to PRT, described a novel route to the synthesis of organotin polymers which could be used as pesticidal agents in anti-fouling formulations.

The Editor would like to take this opportunity to thank all members of the PRT community and to encourage more authors and potential authors to join the PRT community.