BOOK REVIEWS tage, aided by a general dictionary; readers with greater fluency can find much help in clarifying finer shades of meaning, such as cannot be indicated by dictinnary definitions.
JULIAN F. SMITH L m i r Rhyne College Hickory, North Camlinn
Encyclopedim of Chemical Technology. Volume 1, A t o Aluminum
Anthay
Standen executive editor. Interscience Publishers (a division of John Wiley and Sons, Inc.), New York, 1963. xix 990 pp. I9 X 27 em. Figs. and tables $35. (subscription); $45. (single copy).
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This is a second edition of a well-known and much used reference work. The various vdumes of the first edition were published in slphabet,ical order over the years 1947 t o 1956. Thus, the material covered in the present volume in the first edition is 16 years old. Because of t h tremendous ~ scientific and engineering a d v a n c ~ smade during those years, most of the topics have been completely rewritten, in some cases by the same author as in tlrc first edition, in some cases by a diflcrcnt author. Therefore, the editors' statement t h a t this is essentially a new rncyclop~dinis justified.
Most of the topics covered are the same as in the first edition, although quit? s few new teehnologieal subjects, such as ahl3; tion, have been added. The balance between theoretical and applied treatments for various topics is retained. Each of the authors is an authirit,y in his field. One change from the first edition, however, irr that many of the new autlrors are not American, thus providing an international coverage. This is a wrlcome modification since much important technological work has been done t,hroughout the world in countries other than the U.S.A. in recent years, which must he discussod t o have a reasonably complete treat,ment of chemical technology. I n summary, this encyelnpedia is a n excellent source of information on n grrnt number of topics. I t will be a necessary part of any chemistry or cllcmical mgineering library. KENAETHB. BISCHOFF University of Tezns .4ustin Ion Flotation
F d i z Sebbn, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Afrira. American Elsevier Publishing Cm, X e w York, 1963. 154 pp. Figures. 13.5X 1 I . $5.50.
The title "Ion Flotation" was sufficiently mystifying to stimulate a wish to review this monograph. Unquestianably, Dr. Sebba deserves credit far fovus-
Volume
ing strention on the potential fundemental and practical utility of well-known intprfacial phenomena in liquid-liquid (and solid-liquid) interfaces in a broad manner. Except for Chapter 1, the Introduction and the next four chapters treat fundarncntals. The discussions of surface activity, micellcs, foams and froths, and ions in solution are far from cornpr~hensive. This is not surprising in this short monog m p l ~ . These chapters are necessary, hwever, because the book was written for both specialists and "on-sprcialists. Brsidcs their merit as foundation material, there arc bits of information in mril chapter which either are new or have Ihem forgotten, w e n by the specialist. The rlmpter on ions in solution =-as parrirularly interesting. The following list of applications for flotation is given: concentration and/or er~nration of ionic species in industry. Preparation oi new compounds. A tool for academic (and prectical) studies of the hrlmvior and properties of ions in solution. An analytical technique. Conrentration of molecules from solutiun obviously is the result of their trndeney t o collect s t interfaces. The autllnr suggests the use of air bubbles, fur ~xxmplc,as a means to acliirve a desired st ens ion of the interface. Micellc formation reduces or eliminates the tcndency of a surfactant t o concentrate a t an interface, and method8 are discussed to overcome this undesirable state. Indeed, much of
(Continued on page .46i8)
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BOOK REVIEWS tlx value of this monograph lies in the details of suitable appitratus and teclrniqucs of procedure which i t oontains. For emmple, analytical methods applicable t o inorganic ions of each periodic table subgroup were devised by the author. Important variables such as collector t .. y m ,. pH and t~mnereture,are eonsidrrod . also. The value of this monograph is principally the cmphasis placed on the broad potential utility of the technique of ion flotation. I t will suffiae if efforts of other scientists are stimulated t o increase the list of applications. Perhaps most industrial and institutional libraries will add this volume sutomatieally to their cdlrrbions; however, t,here is little nerd fnr the individual scientist to do so.
JOHN CHESSICK Lehigh Universit~, Relhlehm~,Penns!,luonia
Multicomponent Dirlillotion
Charles D. Holland, Agricultural and Merhanicd C o l l e ~ eof Texas, College Station. Prentire-Hnll, Inc., Enqlewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1963. riii 506 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 23.5 rm. $11.25.
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The application of high speed computers for making mutiromp
