FOREWORD
The V Ibero-Amerian Workshop on Complex Fluids and Their Appliations was held in Maringa, Parana,
Brazil, from 9 to 12 September 2001. In its fth edition, about 140 partiipants attended the Workshop from
ten ountries, not only from Ibero-Ameria, but also from Europe and the USA. Nearly forty invited and oral
presentationsandmorethansixtyposterswerepresented. Dierentsubjetsweredisussed,involvingfundamental
physio-hemial properties of omplex uids (liquidrystals, magneti olloids and polymers) and tehnologial
appliations. There were setions devoted to thermotropi and lyotropi liquid rystals, theory and omputing
modelling, polymer liquid rystals, dispersed systems, synthesis of new moleules, devies and haraterization.
ThisspeialissuewiththeproeedingsoftheWorkshopinludes21papersdesribingexperimentalandtheoretial
aspetsofphysis,hemistryandappliations ofomplexuids. Theyrepresentawiderangeoftopis overedat
theworkshopandgiveanatualoverviewofthisareainIbero-Ameria. Duringthemeeting,theProfessorG.W.
Gray Awardwasattributed to thetwobest posterpresentations. Weaknowledgenanialsupport from Capes,
CNPq, Funda~ao Arauaria, Universidade Estadual de Maringa,FAPESP, PRONEX and Universidade Estadual
deLondrina,whihallowedthepartiipationofmanyinvitedspeakersandstudents.
L.R. Evangelista
UniversidadeEstadualdeMaringa
A.M.FigueiredoNeto
