This comprehensive treatment of topics related to the science and engineering of filled thermoplastics reviews the current state-of-the-art. The first volume "Raw Materials and Processing" is devoted to the scientific, engineering and practical issues related to selection and characterization of raw materials and processing technologies. The first chapter deals with a review of the current understanding of structure-property relationships in thermoplastic matrices on both macroscopical and microstructural levels. The second chapter covers the manufacture and characterization of most common natural and synthetic fillers in great depth. Surface modifications of particulate fillers and the effects of filler-filler and filler-matrix interactions on the processing and performance of filled thermoplastics are reviewed in the third chapter. Finally, rheology of thermoplastic compounds including the theoretical background of processing of these materials is presented in the fourth chapter.