Surface activity

Nostrand Co., Ino., Princeton, Kew. Jersey, 1961. xvi + 518 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 25.5 om. $15. In this book "technical processes are considered ...
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BOOK REVIEWS terested, directly or indirectly, with the solid state. The physical aspects of the book, printing, figures, graphs, and illustrations, are outstanding and should be credited to the editor and the publisher. Unfortunately, this is partly reflected in the price of the volume, about $30, which is the only drawback that this reviewer has found in this hook.

G. PARRAVANO Univwsill( of Michigan Ann A ~ b w Sutfare Activity

J. L. M d l i e t , B. Collie, and W . B l a k , d l of Imperial Chemical Industriee, Ltd., Blackley, Mencheeter, and Research Department, I. C. I. (Hyde) Ltd., England. 2nd ed. I). Van Nostrand Co., Ino., Princeton, Kew 518 pp. Figs. Jersey, 1961. xvi and tables. 16 X 25.5 om. $15.

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In this book "technical processes are considered in terms of their component physical chemical phenomena and the relation of both to the chemistry of surface active agents is indicated." To acoomplish this purpose the authors review in detail the pertinent academic aspectsof thesuhject, euchas thestructure of solutions of surfactants, their adsorption, the effect of surface forces on crystal shspe, They then analyze the technical processes in t e r m of the basic phenomena involved in each and are thus able to correlate effectively the two aspects. The last quarter of the book is devoted to a review of the structure of a variety of surfactants. The authors, all oonnected with Imperial Chemical Industries. have ohviouslv thought seriously and for a long time about the scientific basis of the technical processes involved, so that there is much that is uniquely ~ o u n dand pertinent in their presentation, especially for those interested in the rationale and fundamentala of wetting, waterproofing, dispereing, detergency, emulsification, dye-assistance, etc. The book presupposes a certain competency in chemistry, hut then gives the reader a, very clear and detailed presentation of its arguments. This often takes the form of an extensive discussion of a few scientific or technical articles which the authors consider t o be of key importance. Limited space alone therefore forces omission of much else that could be interesting or signifieitnt. This leads to a. eerious weakness of the book which lies in its omissions, especially of material which appeared since the first (1950) edition. For vssmplc, there i? nl, ~rlerlriun of lia1.t acsrttvine as 3 tool for drtrnl~lr#llly t l r pire 01 n w r l l ~ 9d e b ~ i wiw ,wrlinrnrr for the lamellar-vs.-spherical structure controversy which is exteneively reviewed. An interesting footnote to history ie that two of the authors are etudente of G. S. Hartley, yet, due to a slip of the tongue of M. J. Vold, they give credit (Continued on page A552)

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Journal of Chemical Education

BOOK REVIEWS (p. 102) to thia reviewer for an argument which he learned during his only and very brief chat with Hartley! KAROLJ. MVSELS University of SozUhem Califmia Los Angeles Inkrfocial Phenomena

.I. T. Devies, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, and E. K. Rideal, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England. Academic Press, New 474 pp. Figs. York, 1961. xiii and tables. 16 X 23.5 em. $14.

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Rided'l's long and productive research career together with Davies' more recent

oontrihutions m e strongly reflected in this hook. It does not purport t o cover all interfacial phenomena; s s pointed out in the preface, adsorption of gases by solids, including physical adsorption, ehemisorptiou, and heterogeneous eatalysis, is omitted. Except in so far as is necessary t o the discussion of electrokinetic phenomena, stability of disperse systems, adhesion and lubrication, sdsorption from solution by solids is not treated. For the most part, "Interfacial Phenomena" is limited to fluid interfaces. There are eight chapters in the book, entitled The Physics of Surfaces, Electrostatic Phenomena, Electrokinetic Phenomena, Adsorption a t Liquid Interfaces, Properties of Monolayeyers, Resctions at Liquid Interfaces, Diffusion Through Interfaces, and Disperse Systems and Adhesion.

This is more a monograph than a textbook, although it could be used as a text in an advanced undergraduate course or graduate course in surface chemistry. The recent excellent text by Arthur W. Adamson, "Physical Chemistry of Surfsces" (Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York, 1960), is much better suited for this purpme, for i t is more extensive and eontsinn features such as problems especially designed for elass use. As a monograph this book belongs on the shelves of all specialists in surface chemistry, for it is an excellent condensation of many of the important contributions of the authors. Chemical engineers will find the chapter on Diffusion Through Interfaces, including the discussion of extraction, useful and stimulating. The chapter on Reactions on Liquid Surfaces seems well done and is not available in other books in thia area. The last chapter, Disperse Systems and Adhesion, includes a sufficient variety of topics (e.g., foam and emulsion stability, friction, lubrication, detergency, etc.) to justify the characterization as a hodgepodge of topics, but i t is an interesting one nevertheless. In this reviewer's opinion meterid in the chapter The Physics of Surfeces is better covered by Adamson in his chapter on capillmity. The chapters an Electrostatic Phenomena and Electrokinetio Phenomena contain interesting discussions on interfacial and surface potentials, effects of surface charge on monolayers and surface equilibria, spray electrification, freezing potentials, effect of surface roughness on f potential, and ratio of and fi potentials not found elsewhere. Except for these topics the critical reader will find the corresponding chapters on the electrical double layer and electrokinetic phenomena by J. Th. G. Overheek in H. R. Kruyt, editcr, "Colloid Science. Volume 1" (Elsevier Publishing Co., Amsterdam, 1952), more satisfactory. The chapters on Adsorption a t Liquid Surfaces and P r o p erties of Monolayers are good, but these chapters and the book by W. D. Harkins, "The Physical Chemistry of Surface Films" (Reinhold Publishing Corp., New York, 1952), bear mutual leavening. Thermodynamic portions of the text oecssionally appear tortuous (e.g., discussion of non-ideal films, pp. 156-7), glib (e.g., pp. 161-5 discusses entropies of desorption without mentioning standard states on which they depend oriticdly), or careless (ex., on page 350 discussion either implies that the aurface excess entropy is negative, which it is not, or else is comparing AH and AS for different processes without so stating). The brief discussion of emulsion polymerization on page 293 is also mialeading. Photographic illustrations are numerous and excellent; some, for exsmple, the frontispiece showing a monolayer of hexadeeanol spread on Loch Laggan, Scotland, are also striking and artistic. ~

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ROBERT S. HANSEN

I m a State Uni~lersity Ames (Continued a page A554)

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Journal o f Chemical Education