232
S E W BOORS
on the properties of solutions of selected suhstances or groups of substances. (‘hnptcr 11 is devoted to solutions of hydrochloric acid in water and in dioxane-water mistures; chspter 12 is given over t o strong 1-1 electrolytes (chiefly halides of the alkali metals); chapters 13, 14, and 1.5 deal with clectrolytes of highcr valence type, with mistures of strong electi,olytes, and with the ionization and thermodynamic properties of weak electrolytes. T h e wealth of material, both theoretical arid experimental, contained in this volume will make i t invaluable to the physical chemist and the graduate student in chemistry whenever adequate information about electrolytic solutions is desired. Author and subject indexes are satisfactory and! in addition, a detailed table of contents adds greatly to the usefulness of the book.
F. H. MACDOUCAI.L. Chemical Process Principles. I’arl One: Jfafeiial and E n e r g y Balnnces. By OLAF’4.IIocG E N ASD KEXNETH M . WATSOS. vi 452 p p , Kew T o r k : John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1943. Price: $4.50. This excellent, test has developed from Industrial Chemical Calculations by the same authors. Chapter I to 1’ and chapters V I 1 and VI11 cover material given in any good elementary course in physical chemistry, with the addition of many problems (some worked out in detail, others left as esercises to the reader) pertaining directly to the study of chemical engineering. Chapter V I on “Material Balances” is well designed to assist the student in studying operations on a large scale, whether these are merely chemical reactions, counter-current processes, continuous processes, or recycling operations. Chapter I X is an extensive discussion of “Fuels and Combustion.” I n Chapter X the general methods of calculating material and energy balances are applied to three typical processes in the chemical, metallurgical, and petroleum industries. These are the chamber sulfuric acid plant, the blast furnace, and the petroleum-cracking process. T h e reviewer found only two minor errors. On page 57, i t is stated that “if n saturated vapor is cooled or compressed, condensation will result and what is termed a wet vapor is formed.” -4s a matter of fact, adiabatic compression of saturated water vapor renders i t unsaturated. On page 227 the statement is made t h a t “water has a higher specific heat than any other substance with the exception of liquid ammonia and a few organic compounds.” T h e reviewer could add gaseous hydrogen and gaseous helium (at constant pressure) to the list of exceptions. F. H. MACDOGCALL.
+
\-.
Sunthetic Resins and Rubbers. By P.4rr2 0. POWERS. 296 pp. S e w York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1943. Price: $3.00. Synthetic Resins und Rubbers is addressed t o young chemists and to students who intend t o enter industry. I t s purpose, “to describe briefly the chemistry of polymers, particularly those of commercial importance”, has been competently achieved. A foundation of knowledge is provided for much of the glue, paint, and rubber chemistry which is so important in practical work. T h e author, in his capacity as chief of organic research of the Armstrong Cork Company, has had intimate contact with the development and application of the materials whereof he writes. Short chapters on the economics of the plastics industry and on the principles of resin formation are followed by more detailed considerations of condensation polymers. These include resins prepared from phenol and formaldehyde (Bakelite) ; urea formaldehyde, best, linown in pastel-tinted bathroom tuinblcrs, nntl its improved successor, melamine formaldehyde; the polyester resins used in modern paints and varnishes; and the polyamides, which, as S y l o n stockings, conferred glamour on the rlmerican girl. The vinyl polymer*, including polyvinyl chloride (Koroscal), lustrous polymethyl methacrylate, now used for bomber windows, and polystyrene, are effectively described. The chapter on synthetic rubbers was written by K. 1-1. Weber, a researcli associate of Powers. It is the best general exposition of this subject t h a t has coni? to the reviewer’s nttcntion. I-nder “Resins fmni
XE\V BOOKS
233
S a t u i a l Piuducts” are included the various nitrates, esters, and ethers of cellulose, as n ell as resins derived from Herea rubber T h e book is concluded with short chapters on solvents, plasticizers. molding and extrusion operations, and applications of synthetic resins in protective coatings This book is the first of its type, although the need for such a treatment has been evident f o r several >ears. I t is not surprising, therefore, t o encounter sins both of omission and of commission For example. no mention is made of the use, during condensation, of conipounds exhibiting a lower degree of functionality to control the properties of polysulfide rubbers, and the treatment accorded this matter under polyesters and polyamides is cursory. It is also the reviener’s opinion t h a t the book would have benefited from inclusion of more information on natural polymers, such as wool and silk, in order t o create a unified viewpoint tvith respect to high polymers of industrial importance. Such statements a s “formaldehyde can also be produced by the catalytic oxidation of methane”, page 59) and “This diffusion has been attributed to the shape of the molecule, which appears t o be rodshaped in solution and spherical in the emulsion” (page 161) should be taken cum grano salis Minor errors, such as the sentence without a verb (on page 5 i ) , and “divinylacetylene” instead of vinylacetylene (on page 192), while unfortunate, are not sufficiently nunierouq t o weaken the book. Despite these aberrations, the book can be highly commended as an introduction to a fascinating branch of technology which is growing rapidly and which is foreordained to play an important rBle in our future economy.
C H ~ R L EF. S FRYLIXG. Principles a n d Applications of Electrochemistry. Volume I. Principles. By H. JERJIAIN CREIGHTOZ.4th edition. 4 7 i pp. S e w T o r k : John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1943. Price: $5.00. T-olume Z I . Applications. By W. A . KOEHLER.2nd edition. 5 i 3 pp. S e w York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.. 1943. Price: $5.00. Volume I is the fourth edition of Creighton’s well-known and appreciated book on electrochemistry. The mere fact of the publication of the fourth edition nineteen years after the first appearance of the book proves that it has satisfied a definite need and t h a t it has gained many friends. Even though the added ncn- material makes the text more or less up-to-date, the original character of the book has been maintained. I t concentrates on classical electrochemistry and discusses the properties of electrolytes mainly on the basis of the theory of Arrhenius, although two chapters have been devoted t o the modern theory of electrolytes. This disregard of the modern theory in the bulk of the text causes a certain inconsistency. For example, on page 38 (Table S)is given the “percentage dissociation” of solutions of various strong electrolytes a t different concentrations, but on page 40 the qualitative discussion of the “modern theory of electrolytic dissociation” starts with the statement t h a t “in solution the vast majority of salts and the strong acids and bases exist entirely as ions”. T h e discussion of Table S I (page 53),dealing with the relation between dielectric constant and the dissociating power of solvents, needs a revision on the basis of activities. The classical discussion of “dilution formulas for strong electrolytes” (pages 295-9) might be omitted, while the “explanations of anomaly of strong electrolytes” (pages 299-301) could be substituted by a more modern treatment. The derivation of the equation of the electrode potential is identical with the one oiiginallj- pIesented by Kernst. -1more modern derivation in which the “osmotic pressure” of the ion is replaced by the activity nould be preferable. There is a certain advantage in the emphasis of the older literature and viens. 1Iany facts described in classical papers, and which have not yet been given a quantitative interpretation by the modern theory, might easily be ignored in a treatise based entirely on the modern theory. The text contains a great deal of scientific and useful information. The problems a t the ends of the chapters are well chosen and instructive. 1-olunie 11, entitled “ ~ ~ p p l i c a t i o n s by ” , Professor W.-1.Koehler experiences its second
.
