Chemical Education Today
Book & Media Reviews The Laboratory Companion: A Practical Guide to Materials, Equipment, and Technique G. S. Coyne. Wiley Interscience: New York, 1997. xviii + 527 pp. ISBN 0-471-18422-5. $59.95.
The Laboratory Companion should be a laboratory maintenance guide for all chemistry departments. This book contains a unique collection of hard-to-obtain, valuable information on the use, maintenance, and calibration of common laboratory equipment. In addition, the book provides guidelines for purchasing common laboratory equipment. The book has eight chapters that range from selecting basic lab materials to calibrating thermometers, balances, and volumetric glassware. The most valuable chapter was on vacuum systems. This chapter begins with the “Ten Most Common Disasters That Occur in Vacuum Systems” and concludes with a real time-saving section on detecting the seven sources of vacuum leaks. The author not only explains how you and your students can avoid these disasters and how to detect leaks (which certainly would save many exasperating hours), but also includes valuable information on how to maintain your vacuum pumps, how to select efficient traps, and how to use and maintain gauges properly. Other sections of the book contain pertinent information and resources for running an efficient chemistry laboratory. Extensive technical data about stopcocks, stopcock grease, O-rings, and gas compatibility with various materials is included. One appendix contains guidelines for how to draw up specifications for specialized research apparatus (another real cost saver). Therefore, if you are wondering how to clean your McLeod gauge, what type of O-ring to use with various solvents, or why your vacuum pump continues to make that gurgling noise, this book will tell you. This is definitely a book each chemistry department should have in its stockrooms, as it will undoubtedly save laboratory personnel many valuable hours. Elizabeth A. Runquist Department of Chemistry San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA 94143-0446
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Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 76 No. 5 May 1999 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
