Exploring Materials Through Patent Information

Many advances in technology are due to the development of new materials and by using patent literature we can monitor how technology has advanced. Exploring Materials through Patent Information describes how different technologies have evolved through the development of their patents, providing students with a guide on how to use patents as a source of information in their research and studies.

The first chapter provides practical advice on searching for patents and using patents, followed by individual chapters covering different material systems where the technical information in the patent literature demonstrates the developments in the technology. The materials discussed includes light-emitting diodes, quantum dots, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), liquid crystals and liquid crystal displays, 3d printing, healthcare, block copolymers, aerogels, ionic liquids, flame retardants, graphene, hydrogels, and superhydrophobic materials.

The book is aimed at students in chemistry, materials science and engineering to show how patent information is an important source of information alongside other sources of information.

David Segal read natural sciences at Trinity Hall, Cambridge University and graduated in 1972. He obtained a M.Sc. with commendation in surface chemistry and colloids at the University of Bristol and completed a Ph.D. on foaming in lubricating oils at the same university. Post-doctoral work was carried out at Brunel University on the surface chemistry of copper phthalocyanine pigments. He has been employed in both the public and private sectors in the United Kingdom and throughout his working life has maintained an interest in materials chemistry and patent literature. David Segal wrote the book "Chemical synthesis of advanced ceramic materials" that was published by Cambridge University Press in 1989. He is an author or co-author of over forty scientific papers and an inventor or co-inventor of over twenty patent families.