Herbert H. Dow: Pioneer in Creative Chemistry ... - ACS Publications

Mathieson Chemical Corp., and Samuel H. Maron, Professor of. Physical Chemistry, Case Institute of Technology. Second edi- tion. The Macmillan Co., Ne...
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FEBRUARY,1952

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ment; the second consists of a bibliography with comments on the publications listed. In general the authors have done well in their brief presentation of the material. The book is definitely useful for the training of personnel for radiological defense. HERBERT M. CLARK REIBBELABR POLTTGCRNIO INBT~TDTE TROY. NEWYORK

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY Carl F. Prutton, Vice-president and Diredor of Operations, Mathieson Chemical Corp., and Samuel H. Maron, Pmfeasor of Physical Chemistry, Case Institute of Techndagy. Second edition. The Macmillan Co., New Yo&, 1951. x 803 pp. 173 figs. 127 tables. 15 X 22 cm. $5.75.

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Dow acted as founder and general manager. The difficulties of raising money for expanding production and developing of new products are vividly told. Herbert Dow, by his willingness to try anything that should work and make it work, established a pattern that catalyzed the rapid growth of the Dow Chemical Company. Dow's specific contributions to the growth of chemical manufacture in this country include: the introduction of cheap phenol; the creation of a dependable domestic source of metallic magnesium; the battles won aver foreign monopolies in chemicals like bleach, indigos, the salicylates; the development of carbon tetrachloride as a raw material for other chemicals and as a volume chemical in itself; the development of cheap chlorine and its wide use as a processing material; the continuing seslch for new uses far bromine; and so on. Along with all these developments, the Dow Chemical Company grew and became a leader in the industry by DOW'Scontinuous striving for diversifying products and improving the efficiency of chemical processing. Herbert Dow's contributions of a general nature are his pioneering and improving of the continuous pyacess which is automatically controlled and operated; the ceadess search for new products and ways of making them; the exploitation of unwanted by-products; the constant effort to make products more cheaply; the driving interest in using cheap raw materials, such as brine: the commercial importance of research; and, perhaps above all, the sheer creativeness of Dow's industrial attitude. This book is really the biography of an outstanding chemiesl company whose life was sparked and nurtured continuously by Herbert Dow and the fine group of hand-picked men which surrounded him at all stages of the company's development. Although the story ends with Dow's death in 1930, his spirit of enterprise continues as the greatest single motive force in the company today. Anyone looking for a chronicle of intelligent capitalism and the American way of life will find this book rich and rewarding.

SINCEthe appearance of the first edition of this text in 1944, it has been widely adapted. Except far one completely new chapter, and a substantial increase in the number of problems, this revised edition differs very little fram its predecessor. Addition of afew ~araersrrbshere and there has been offset bv deletion of others, so-th&; except for the sdded chapter, the number of psges is almost unchanged. Since there has been very little rewrit,ing,most of this editionisidentical with the last. The discussion of crystal structure has been improved by the addition of three paragraphs on space lattices and space groups. The treatment of adsorption isotherms has been slightly expanded, and a section on theDonnan equilibrium has been added. This last is a complex subject, and as presented here (as in most such tests) it is oversimplified. In the reviewer's opinion, unless a great deal more space can be devoted to it, including application to actual systems, it might as well be omitted entirely: The chapter on thermoehemistry has been improved by the addition of a di~cussionof differential heats of solution and dilution. FREDERICK G . SAWYER Several changes have been made in the chapters dealing with STA\FURDREBEARCA INBTITUTE atomic structure. Discussion of mass defect has been somewhat Br*rsono, C ~ ~ ~ r o n x ~ n expanded, and the description of the nucleus of the atom has been improved-the earlier edition talked about electrons in the nucleus. A paragraph on the generation of neutrons has been SURFACE ACTMTY added, and t,he brief section on nuclear fission has been brought I. L. Moilliet and B. Collie, D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., New up t,odate. 379 pp. 22 figs. 6 tables. 15.5 X 25.5 The major change in the book is a new chapter on photo- York, 1951. x chemistry. Like the rest of the book, this chapter is clear, well cm. $12.50. written, and teachable. THIS book provides an excellent treatment of surface-aotive mlL111AM E. CADBURY. JR. agents and surface activity from the point of view of the funds, H ~ v a n r o n nC O L L E ~ D mental physical chemistry involved. It is divided into three H ~ r ~ n r o nPENNWLYANIA o, parts: the first, of about 150 pages, physicochemical principles; the second, of about IGQ pages, deals with technical applications; and the third, of about 120 pages, presents the chemical eonstituHERBERT H. DOW: PIONEER IN CRERTIVE CHEM- tion of synthetic surfactants. ISTRY In Part I theories and substantistine data dealine with the nsMurray Campbell and Harrison Hatton. Appleton-Century- ture and properties of surfactants &e ~ummari~ed.Far exCrofts, Inc., New York, 1951. xi 168 pp. Illustrated. 18.5 X ample, the nature of micelles and the conflicting theories as to their probable size and structure are treated in some detail. 26.5 cm. $3.50. Many references placed at the bottom of the pag-both in this B R ~ N was E considered merely salty water with few chemical part and throughout the hook-refer the reader to the original potentials until young Herbert H. Dow made the study of this articles. This generous use of references permits condensation of solution his life's interest. In 1889, after graduating fram the material with which the reader may be assumed to have some Case School of Applied Science, Dow became Professor of Chem- familiarity, or if not, which he can readily look up. The technical applications in Part I1 furnish good general disistry and Toxicology a t the Huron Street Hospital College in Cleveland. This position gave him spare time for analyzing cussions of the factors involved in surface activity, including wetand experimenting with brine. His first attempt to extract ting-out and waterproofing, emulsification, dispersion and debromine from brine on a commercial baais took b lace near Can- flocculation, solubilization, eta. Again, emphasiip iis an the physiton, Ohio. Shortly thereafter, Dow went to ~ i i l a n dand under cochemical principles involved. Some examples of commercial various names the eventual Dow Chemical Company took applications are given. These tend to deal with industrial processing of textiles, although other types of applications are menshape. This attractive book by Campbell and Hatton chronicles the tioned. Uses of surfactants in the manufac.ture of cosmetics are for household use is not mccesses and disillusionments which constantly beset Dow. not discussed. The building.of syndets . Several interesting sections discuss his relations with the hoards treated. In Part 111 the surfactants are grouped by general classificaof directors and financial backers of the various companies where

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