BOOK REVIEWS lectures are grouped in the book under the following topics whioh indicate their scope as well as the state of the art: vacuum equipment, thennodynamios and kinetics, arcs and arc melting prooesses, induction melting processes, electron bombardment melting techniques, deas sing in the liquid and solid states, distillation of metals, metallurgical applications of vacuum processing, analytical techniques, and future trends. There is a 20 page bibliography, an author index, and a suhjeet index. In the front of the book are lists of abbreviations and units of pressure and conversion factors. The inclusion of these items indicate the care with which the editing was accomplished. The outstanding contribution of vacuum metallurgy has been a spectacular improvement in mechanical properties of metals. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are absorhed by most metals during various stages ol processing. Vaouum is used to drive a reversible reeotion and to favor dissoci&t.ionof compounds of these impurities. Volatile metallic impurities may also be removed. The resulting purified metal may show ductility and toughness where neither was apparent, and improved fatigue life, better electrical conductivity and improved corrosion resistance. Vacuum melting has improved the workability of such alloys as iron-aluminum and boron stainless steel
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that had been considered to he unworkable. The improved performance has in general justified the premium cost. Vacuum metdlurgy includes the interesting "hot-wire" reduction technique of Van Arkel and de Boer which has led to development of many high purity metals. The largest soale utilization of this process to date has heen the production of zirconium crystal bar for use in the atomic energy program. This book emphasises engineering processes primarily, but most of the techniques discussed have first been laboratory developments that are still important to the chemist and metallurgist. The ditcussion of pumping and the measurement of law pressures (high vaourt) are pertinent to small scale operations as well as large. The hot-wire technique has been used widely in research laboratories. Other valuable laboratory techniques reviewed include the fascinating levitation melting (in whioh the melt is held floating in space with no contact between it and a crucible), floating eone melting, cage zone melting, vacuum-fusion analysis, induction melting or sintering, vacuum heat treating and annealing, and so on. The wide scale use of vacuum metallurgy is recent and one that will continue to expand. The publiostian of this book will aid in this development. Ordnanee Materials Research Ofice Wate~tom,Massachusetts
Fundamentals of Inorganic, Organic, and Biological Chemistry
Joseph I. Routh, State University of Iowa. 4th ed. W. B. Saunders Co., Philrtdelphia, 1959. ix f 384 pp. 102 figs. 15.5 X 2 1 om. $4. This text written for nurses is a modification of the author's "20th Century Chemintry." Other than several chapters omitted and some new material added, much of the content has been taken verbatim from thelarger text. It is written in a manner which is easy to read and the frequent use of heavy type accentuates content of paragraphs and names of compounds. The reviewer's greatest criticism of the text is the omission of two chapters: namely, The Nonmetallic Elements and The Metallic Elements. The only element of which there is any mention as such is oxygen. The term "halogen" is first used an page 142, and no mention is made of its properties, occurrence, or uses except in s. brief appendix. The inclusion of a brief discussion of the more common elements would make the whole hook more meaningful to the students, particularly thasenot havinghadhigh schaolchemistry. In the organic section, excellent use has been made of structural formulas, the only exceptions being those of citric and tartaric acids. It has been found that formulas used by the author leave the average student with little conception of their real structure. (Continued on page A844)
BOOK REVIEWS At the end of the chanters are eenerous lkts of well c h o w ) revim qu~*riww. Thc text conrsins s wealth of eellhrwnlrrd iniurmnrion, much of whirl, w,uld he of value to nmses. A competent instructor will easily compensate for the omissions noted. ARTHURL.WILLIAMS San Jose State College San Jose, California Nomography
L. Ivan Epstein, Lowell Technologioal Institute, Lowell, Mass. Interscience Publishera, Inc., New York, 1958. x 134 pp. 16 X 23.5 cm. $4.50.
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The author's claim, "The present volume is intended t o fill the need for a. book t h a ~comhines the discussion and methods of construotion with a thorough presentation of the underlying theory," seems to be well substantiated. The reader moves rapidly through introductory chapters on determinants, nomographs, and projective transformations to a more sophisticated paoing of matrix multiplie~tion and into the latter half of the hook treating the representation of equations involving more than three variables, empirical nomography, "Kellog's method" and nonprojective transformations. There are no lists of practice problems, hot the hook is sure to be a
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favorite source of help in solving such items already existing in other books and for all whose research or teaching uses this important mathematical technique. W. F. K.
At the end of each chapter appears a list of references. The author index and subject index, which appear a t the end of the hook, seem adequate. The book is definitely not for the layman, hut is intended more for those associated with the medical profession and others concerned with the practical and theoretical aspects of such topics.
Disinfection ond Sterilizmlion 0.Sykes. D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., 396 pp. Princeton, N. J., 1958. xviii JAMES M. PAPPENHAGEN 16.5 X 25.5 cm. $10.75. Kenyon College This is another book in the "General and Garnhier, Ohio Industrial Chemistry Series" edited by H. M. Bunbury. Following the pattern Laboratory Manual of Chemistry of the other members of this series this volume presents "a considered appraisal of Joseph I . Routh, State University of the progress made, particularly over the Iowa. 4th ed. W. B. Silunders Co., last two decades, in t h e . . subjects of d i s 115 pp. Philadelphia, 1959. xii infection, sterilization and antisepsis." 36 figs. 14 X 20.5 om. $1.75. The book is divided into six parts: (1)Theory of Disinfection and Methods of This manual w a s written to acoompany Testing, (2) Methods of Sterilieation, two texts written by the author, "Funda( 3 ) Air Disinfection and Sterilization, mcntals of Inorganic, Organic, and (4) Disinfection of Viruses, ( 5 ) Chemical Biological Chemistry," written exchlDisinfectants, and ( 6 ) Preservation and sivelg for nurses, and "Twentieth Century Preservatives. There are a total of 17 Chemistry," suitable as a text for a onechapters, each of which is excellently year terminal course. written. Each topic is prefaced by an In dealing with unsaturated hydrointeresting historical passage. The tables carbons, solutions of bromine and iodine and figures are adequate. The termiare added to acetylene. Due t o an nology and definitions throughout are conanomaly, acetylene is a very poor choice sistent. for this reaction since i t reacts too slowly The chapters pertaining to Chemical to be detected by a beginning student. Disinfectants are of interest to the chemWith iodine, there is no reaction. No ist in that the aotions of nhenals.. dves. - . comparison in the relative rates of reaction ~onpz,qu:rLernury nmmoniuw ~ ! o n ~ p o u n d ~ , of halogen a n saturated and unsaturated h111m.1.5, and Iwwy 111c181>are h c r i i w d compounds is inoluded. A solution of in grwt detnil. The ihcumrry prra.nted (Continued on page A646) is correct
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