Vikas Mittal, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Chemical Engineering Department of The Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi. He obtained his Ph.D. in 2006 in polymer and materials engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. Dr. Mittal then worked as a materials scientist in the Active and Intelligent Coatings section of Sun Chemical in London, and as a polymer engineer at BASF Polymer Research in Ludwigshafen, Germany. His research interests include polymer nanocomposites, novel filler surface modifications, thermal stability enhancements, and polymer latexes with functionalized surfaces, among others. Dr. Mittal has authored more than 50 scientific publications, book chapters, and patents on these subjects.

• Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) (PMMA) Nanocomposite Foams. Nano-Toughening and Micro-Toughening of Polymer Dyntactic Foams. Extrusion of Polypropylene/Clay Nanocomposite Foams. Foams Based on Starch, Bagasse Fibers and Montmorillonite. Processing of Polymer Nanocomposite Foams in Supercritical CO2. Hybrid Polyurethane Nanocomposite Foams. The Use of Montmorillonite Clay in Polymer Nanocomposite Foams. Carbon Nanotube-Polymer Nanocomposite Aerogels and Related Materials: Fabrication and Properties. Nanocomposite Foams from High Performance Thermoplastics.

"Young researchers will find a valid and rigorous tool for improving their background in the fields of polymer nanocomposite and foaming processes while experienced academicians will have a well written, clear and readable book to be suggested for their young students interested in the fantastic field of polymeric nanocomposite foams."—Marino Lavorgna, Institute for Composite and Biomedical Materials, Italy’s National Research Council