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Comportement thermique des polymères synthetiques
Book Reviews Reverse osmosis membrane research
Light scattering from polymer solutions
Edited by H. K. Lonsdale and H. E. Podall Plenum Press, New York, 1972, 503 pp. $32.00
Edited by M. B. Hug~in Academic Press, London, 1972, 885 pp. £14.50
This book is primarily a collection of papers presented in a symposium on Polymers for Desalination held at the 162rid National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington, D.C. in September 1971. Several additional papers have been especially contributed to the monograph so as to improve the coverage of membrane research and development. The introduction, written by the editors, is designed to serve two purposes; it gives a general description of the principles and problems of practical reverse osmosis and it surveys and summarizes the following papers by organizing them into five groups. The book is likely to interest most intently readers personally connected with research on membrane separation processes. For them the general description is scarcely necessary but the survey and summaries of the papers are extremely valuable and relieve the reviewer of one of his more difficult tasks. The potential purchaser should certainly read this editors' survey. It gives a strong impression of the creative activity and ingenuity which now characterizes attempts to improve the commercial viability of membrane processes. The practical research papers are all of USA origin although the two papers on Fundamentals: on the membrane process (by O. Kedem) and on the membrane/solution interfacial process (by W. Pusch), are from elsewhere. This restriction of origin is more apparent than real because by far the greatest amount of truly innovative membrane research at the present time is being carried out in the USA. Although no book of this size could give a truly complete account of the field nor could it be truly up-to-date even at the date of publication, the collection of papers presented here give a balanced and stimulating picture of the mainstreams of research towards improving reverse osmosis. The book closes with a chapter by W. S. Gillan setting out trends and hopes for the future. There is a short and rather inadequate index.
Light scattering from polymer solutions has become a routine characterization technique in many laboratories. The experimental work involved, however, is exceptionally demanding and a great deal of care and considerable experience is required to obtain reliable results. Research workers from a variety of disciplines, who use light scattering as a tool, will find the wealth of technical information and experimental know-how recorded in this work extremely useful. Undoubtedly it is a book which will find its place on or near the laboratory bench. In all it contains eighteen chapters and there are twenty contributors. The first sections deal with experimental procedures, theoretical background, and treatment of results. Especially noteworthy here is the extensive tabulation of useful data (e.g. specific refractive index increments and physical properties of solvents). The rest of the work deals with the effect of external parameters and applications to particular types of systems. Included are chapters on the Influence of pressure and temperature (G. V. Schulz and M. Lechner), Electric field light scattering (B. R. Jennings), the Study of association and aggregation via light scattering (H.-G. Elias), the Application of light scattering to copolymers (H. Benoit and D. Froelich), Light scattering from polyelectrolytes (M. Nagasawa and A. Takahashi), Selected topics in biopolymeric systems (W. Burchard and J. M. G. Cowie), My main criticism of the book is the omission of Rayleigh light scattering spectroscopy which in recent years has become an important tool for studying the dynamic properties of polymers in dilute solution. There are at least two chapters which l feel could have been left out to make room for the treatment of this rapidly developing topic. The book is well presented and the contents show a logical development. It can be recommended to those concerned with day-to-day problems of polymer characterization. Beginners to this field should find certain sections particularly helpful.
P. Meares
C. Price
Comportement thermique des polym~res synthetiques F. Roeaboy Masson et Cie, Paris, 1972, Vol 1,301 pp. 140F This is the first volume of what promises to be a rather curious book, in which the entire range of synthetic polymers is described from the aspect of their thermal properties. An attempt is made to classify the principal properties in relation to behaviour upon heating, mainly by division into reversible and irreversible changes. In particular, an attempt is made to identify the structural and chemical factors which favour resistance to degradation at high temperatures, with a special interest in polymers accepted as 'thermally stable' or 'thermally resistant'. In practice, this means that most of the text published so far consists of a catalogue of every conceivable vinyl and carbocyclic polymer, with tables of fusion temperatures and, where possible, differential thermal analysis curves tacked on the end of each section. Many of these sections are so brief that they are misleading without the addition of further critical comment. As a quick reference, the thermal data provided are useful; the supporting references quoted are, at times, somewhat unexpectedly chosen. To precede this section, there are four introductory chapters, which discuss the configuration of macromolecular chains, crystal structure and polymer morphology, the rheology of polymers (which is clearly stated but barely relevant in this context), and the general principles of thermal behaviour. At the end of the book, an appendix lists, by type of polymer, the commercial names of synthetic fibres based on carbon chains. The list is long, includes many obscure and probably obsolete brand-names, and seems quite pointless. In sum, this is a polemical work, of some value to workers concerned with the thermal properties of polymers, but the approach is too eccentric for it to be used in isolation. It is well printed, with many figures, but is rather expensive for its likely value to most readers. C. A. Finch
Plastic foams Edited by K. C. Frisch and J. H. Saunders Marcel Dekker, New York, 1972, Part 1,450 pp. $36.50 This is Part 1 of a two-part monograph concerning cellular plastics and rubber flexible foams; semi-rigid and rigid foams are to be covered in Part 2 still awaiting publication. Reviews of current practice in major areas of the cellular polymer field have been written by a team of authors each a known specialist in the appropriate polymer class. Most of the material presented is already published elsewhere and little new information revealed the prime purpose served by the editors being to collect this scattered data in a reasonably concise format. Consequently, some detail essential to these materials and their processes has been eliminated. Chapters are devoted to foams from the following polymer classes: polyurethanes, solid and latex rubber, polyolefins, poly(vinyl chloride), and silicones, each including the basic chemistry of blowing but with pronounced emphasis on primary processing, mixing and dispensing equipment illustrated by selected application examples of cellular products. Formulations are quoted throughout to illustrate each blowing technique. This has resulted in a balanced blend of chemistry and related technology which is most readable. Special chapters have been included on the mechanism of foam formation and testing procedures for cellular materials which are based entirely on ASTM methods, there being no cross references to equivalent BSI or ISO specifications. A useful marketing trend and historical chapter is included. USA trade names are used throughout, supplemented by chemical names in most instances so that identification with equivalent types should not be too difficult for potential users. Individual chapter authors have, in most instances, given adequate literature references so that the book has become a minor bibliography of current cellular foam technology with American literature receiving dominant representation. It is possible to dip into the various sections at will adding to general usefulness.
POLYMER, 1973, Vol 14, April
175
Light scattering from polymer solutions
Edited by H. K. Lonsdale and H. E. Podall Plenum Press, New York, 1972, 503 pp. $32.00
Edited by M. B. Hug~in Academic Press, London, 1972, 885 pp. £14.50
This book is primarily a collection of papers presented in a symposium on Polymers for Desalination held at the 162rid National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington, D.C. in September 1971. Several additional papers have been especially contributed to the monograph so as to improve the coverage of membrane research and development. The introduction, written by the editors, is designed to serve two purposes; it gives a general description of the principles and problems of practical reverse osmosis and it surveys and summarizes the following papers by organizing them into five groups. The book is likely to interest most intently readers personally connected with research on membrane separation processes. For them the general description is scarcely necessary but the survey and summaries of the papers are extremely valuable and relieve the reviewer of one of his more difficult tasks. The potential purchaser should certainly read this editors' survey. It gives a strong impression of the creative activity and ingenuity which now characterizes attempts to improve the commercial viability of membrane processes. The practical research papers are all of USA origin although the two papers on Fundamentals: on the membrane process (by O. Kedem) and on the membrane/solution interfacial process (by W. Pusch), are from elsewhere. This restriction of origin is more apparent than real because by far the greatest amount of truly innovative membrane research at the present time is being carried out in the USA. Although no book of this size could give a truly complete account of the field nor could it be truly up-to-date even at the date of publication, the collection of papers presented here give a balanced and stimulating picture of the mainstreams of research towards improving reverse osmosis. The book closes with a chapter by W. S. Gillan setting out trends and hopes for the future. There is a short and rather inadequate index.
Light scattering from polymer solutions has become a routine characterization technique in many laboratories. The experimental work involved, however, is exceptionally demanding and a great deal of care and considerable experience is required to obtain reliable results. Research workers from a variety of disciplines, who use light scattering as a tool, will find the wealth of technical information and experimental know-how recorded in this work extremely useful. Undoubtedly it is a book which will find its place on or near the laboratory bench. In all it contains eighteen chapters and there are twenty contributors. The first sections deal with experimental procedures, theoretical background, and treatment of results. Especially noteworthy here is the extensive tabulation of useful data (e.g. specific refractive index increments and physical properties of solvents). The rest of the work deals with the effect of external parameters and applications to particular types of systems. Included are chapters on the Influence of pressure and temperature (G. V. Schulz and M. Lechner), Electric field light scattering (B. R. Jennings), the Study of association and aggregation via light scattering (H.-G. Elias), the Application of light scattering to copolymers (H. Benoit and D. Froelich), Light scattering from polyelectrolytes (M. Nagasawa and A. Takahashi), Selected topics in biopolymeric systems (W. Burchard and J. M. G. Cowie), My main criticism of the book is the omission of Rayleigh light scattering spectroscopy which in recent years has become an important tool for studying the dynamic properties of polymers in dilute solution. There are at least two chapters which l feel could have been left out to make room for the treatment of this rapidly developing topic. The book is well presented and the contents show a logical development. It can be recommended to those concerned with day-to-day problems of polymer characterization. Beginners to this field should find certain sections particularly helpful.
P. Meares
C. Price
Comportement thermique des polym~res synthetiques F. Roeaboy Masson et Cie, Paris, 1972, Vol 1,301 pp. 140F This is the first volume of what promises to be a rather curious book, in which the entire range of synthetic polymers is described from the aspect of their thermal properties. An attempt is made to classify the principal properties in relation to behaviour upon heating, mainly by division into reversible and irreversible changes. In particular, an attempt is made to identify the structural and chemical factors which favour resistance to degradation at high temperatures, with a special interest in polymers accepted as 'thermally stable' or 'thermally resistant'. In practice, this means that most of the text published so far consists of a catalogue of every conceivable vinyl and carbocyclic polymer, with tables of fusion temperatures and, where possible, differential thermal analysis curves tacked on the end of each section. Many of these sections are so brief that they are misleading without the addition of further critical comment. As a quick reference, the thermal data provided are useful; the supporting references quoted are, at times, somewhat unexpectedly chosen. To precede this section, there are four introductory chapters, which discuss the configuration of macromolecular chains, crystal structure and polymer morphology, the rheology of polymers (which is clearly stated but barely relevant in this context), and the general principles of thermal behaviour. At the end of the book, an appendix lists, by type of polymer, the commercial names of synthetic fibres based on carbon chains. The list is long, includes many obscure and probably obsolete brand-names, and seems quite pointless. In sum, this is a polemical work, of some value to workers concerned with the thermal properties of polymers, but the approach is too eccentric for it to be used in isolation. It is well printed, with many figures, but is rather expensive for its likely value to most readers. C. A. Finch
Plastic foams Edited by K. C. Frisch and J. H. Saunders Marcel Dekker, New York, 1972, Part 1,450 pp. $36.50 This is Part 1 of a two-part monograph concerning cellular plastics and rubber flexible foams; semi-rigid and rigid foams are to be covered in Part 2 still awaiting publication. Reviews of current practice in major areas of the cellular polymer field have been written by a team of authors each a known specialist in the appropriate polymer class. Most of the material presented is already published elsewhere and little new information revealed the prime purpose served by the editors being to collect this scattered data in a reasonably concise format. Consequently, some detail essential to these materials and their processes has been eliminated. Chapters are devoted to foams from the following polymer classes: polyurethanes, solid and latex rubber, polyolefins, poly(vinyl chloride), and silicones, each including the basic chemistry of blowing but with pronounced emphasis on primary processing, mixing and dispensing equipment illustrated by selected application examples of cellular products. Formulations are quoted throughout to illustrate each blowing technique. This has resulted in a balanced blend of chemistry and related technology which is most readable. Special chapters have been included on the mechanism of foam formation and testing procedures for cellular materials which are based entirely on ASTM methods, there being no cross references to equivalent BSI or ISO specifications. A useful marketing trend and historical chapter is included. USA trade names are used throughout, supplemented by chemical names in most instances so that identification with equivalent types should not be too difficult for potential users. Individual chapter authors have, in most instances, given adequate literature references so that the book has become a minor bibliography of current cellular foam technology with American literature receiving dominant representation. It is possible to dip into the various sections at will adding to general usefulness.
POLYMER, 1973, Vol 14, April
175