3. Conclusion

Considered laboratory curiosities some forty years ago, thermostable heterocyclic polymers have undergone steady development in all conventional material forms: adhesives, films, foams, molded objects, coatings, varnishes, and so on. Because of their price and processing difficulties, their development is closely linked to that of advanced technologies. The quantities of polymers produced annually are nowhere near those of mass-produced polymers, but their added value means that the corresponding sales are not negligible. To put things in perspective, film and film precursor production is estimated at a few thousand tonnes, while composite matrices account for around a thousand tonnes, all applications combined, while thermostable adhesives have a market of a few hundred tonnes. It's only natural that the transfer of cutting-edge technologies to the consumer market should take time, but...