LABORATORY MANUAL OF BATCH DISTILLATION
F. I. Zuiderweg, Koninklijke Shell-Laboratorium, Amsterdam. Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York, 1957. viii 126 pp. 32 figs. 8 tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. $3.50.
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TEE importance of separation techniques has been relegated to a minor position in the chemistry curricula of most colleges and universities since the advent of electronic instrumentation. Indeed, it would be unusual if the material encompassed in this book were found integrated with an undergraduate curriculum for chemists. Most instructors have assumed, with little justification, that the student's exposure to distillation phenomena. in organic laboratories and his encounter with theoretical vapor-liquid equilibria in physical chemistry have prepared him for handling all commonplace distillations. The fact is that there are few advanced students in chemistry who would not profit hy contact with this text. This manual can he highly recommended to the student who is interested in batch distillation but cannot acquire the training formally. Beginning researchers and others who will use distillation for the resolution of mixtures will find the text valuable. Keep in mind though that the baok was formulated as a guide or introduction to hatch distill* tion and is not intended far the distillation specialist. The title is somewhat misleading if we compere the contents of the book with that of most laboratory manuals. There are no numbered experiments and the manual may be read as easily as a textbook. The only real similarity to a manual is the number of procedures suggested for evaluating the charaoteristics of a distillation column. Methods of determining the column capacity, separating power, efficiency, hold-up, and pressure drop are described and the factors that influence these quantities are discussed. Enough information is given so that the reader can apply the general techniqueb to any particular column. Theory is developed beyond the level encountered in most physical chemistry textbooks, but it is expressed cleady and concisely, suitable for undergraduate students. The composition of liquid and vapor phases in equilibrium is illustratad with the typical temperrtture-mole fractian diagrams. Both ideal and nonided systems are treated with particular emphasis placed on the importance of the relative volatility of components in the separation of binary mixtures. The description and technique of simple distillation and rectifying distillation are evolved from the vapor-liquid equilibrium diagrams. The concepts of theoretical plates and plate efficiency are introduced and related to the separation effect of distillation under conditions of total and partial reflux. Methods of calculating the minimum number of plates and r e flux ratio necessary for the resolution of binary and even ternary mixtures me p r e sented. Many practical problems frequently overlooked hy the novice are considered
with the theory. The effects of sample size, apparatus dimensions, relative volatilities, relative amounts of components, and rate of vaporization on the sharpness of separation are carefully weighed. The section on practical laboratory distillation is brief and is not intended to supplement or complement a treatise on distillation such as that of Weissberger or Carney. Enough information is provided to guide the beginner in the eonstruction of a relatively simple column. For more detailed information and for discussions of extractive and meotropio distillations, the interested reader is referred to the relevant literature. Approximately 100 references are grouped by subject matter in a selected bibliography. EUGENE W. BERG LOOIBIANA STAT.UNIVERBITT Bmow Rooor, Loorarm*
ELECTRON IMPACT PHENOMENA AND THE PROPERTES OF GASEOUS IONS
F. H. Field and I. L. Franklin, Refining Research and Development Dirrision, Humble Oil & Refining Co., Baytown, Texas. Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1957. ix 349 pp. 30 figs. 4 5 tables. 16 X 23.5 Em. $8.50.
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tron-impact phenomena. and the properties of gaseous ions. Far those unfamiliar with the field, the authors attempt to provide an introduction to it; for experienced workers, they include a, tabulation of all available ionization and appearance potentials, with interpretations where possible. The objective is a. laudable one. Mass spectrometry has grown up almost wholly as a descriptive science. A vast quantity of masespectral data has accumulated for use primarily in analytical a p plierttions, but, as the authors point out, th* hulk of it still awaits interoretation.
dicted the shape of such curves, and that all methods of measuring critical potentials from them are therefore empirical and more or less arbitrary. A valuable feature of the book lies in the bringing together, from different sources, of data pertinent to processes under discussion. The anomalies and contradictions thereby revealed emphasize how little is known about these systems and challenge the reader with sharply ddened problems. In several instances, however, insertion of the authors' personal opinion seems to weaken the challenge without contributing much to the solution of the problem. Thus, the authors' preference for the directly measured ionization potentials of the henzyl, allyl, and s-propyl radicals over the indirectly measured values does not explain the differences, cannot settle the matter and, in effect, glosses over the prohlem. In seeking to interpret massspectral data, the authors tend to lean heavily on energetic considerations and to neglect other pertinent evidence. Their warning that "empirical correlations of mass spectra. . .should not be accepted in detail without very careful s c ~ t i n y "would seem to apply with equal force to conclusions drawn solely from energetic considerations. The number of independent approaches that are available-empirical correlations, ionization and appearance potential^, the spectra of labeled compounds, and m e t e stable o e a k d e m m d s a thoroueh studv of any system through as man; different approaches as possible. This hook needs to be read critically and supplemented generously by further reading on the underlying physical principles and by references to the original literature. Nevertheless, it fills a real need. The mature student or the worker who may wish to enter the field will 6nd here a eoldmine of u~~aolvrd problem^ to challenge his im~girratiunand ingrnuity. SEYMOUR MEYERSON ST*ND*BD orr C o r ~ * l r r Walrr~aI . N~*W*
THERMODYNAMICS OF ONE COMPONENT SYSTEMS
papers. The tah"la,ti& of critical pitenti& will save much searching of the literature and alone may he well worth the price of the baok. In some respects, however, the treatment given the subject matter falls short of expectations. The reader who is unfamiliar with the field is likely to have trouble with the lengthy and involved theoretical discussions. Such discussions may he unavoidable in a review that aims at completeness; however, they are not-and perhaps cannot be--so complete as to make reference to the original work unnecessary. The difficulty might have been alleviated by summarizing statements that present the gist of a discussion clearly and simply, but such statements seldom appear. For example, nowhere in the discussion of ionizationefficiency curves is the reader told clearly that no theory has yet successfully pre-
William N. Lacey and Bruce H. Sage, Chemical Engineering Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. Academic Press Inc., New York, 1957. xi 376 pp. 9 1 figs. 16 X 23.5 om. $8.
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Tam authors make no apology for the introduction of still another text in the field of thermodynamics except to state a need for B treatment which emphasizes " . . . a clear understanding of a limited field . . . " rather than a " . . . superficial acquaintance over a broader front." With such a preface it is surprising to find the exposition of the fundamental laws of thermodynamics much less rigorous than those found in current texts in the field, i.e., "Thermodynamics for Chemical Engineers" by Weber and Meissner or "Thermodynamics" by Keenan. Considerable use is made of the concept of friction in developing relationships that (Continued a page A376) JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
