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Handbook on the physics and chemistry of rare earths, volume 21
Journal of
AU.@~ AHD COMP(X~D$ ELSEVIER
Journal of Alloys and Compounds 255 (1997) 266
Book review
Handbook on the physics and chemistry of rare earths, Volume 21 E d i ~ by K.A. Gschneidner Jr. and L. Eyring 496 pages, ISBN 0-444-82178-3 Hardbound, Price: DFL 340.00 US$ 212.50, North Holland/El~vier Science, Amsterdam (1995) It needs 6 pages to list the contents of the already appeared 20 volumes of this Handbook - from 1978 to 1995 - with a total of more than i0 000 pages. It shows too the necessity of such a tremendous undertaking and the competence of editors and con~butors, Professors G~heidner and Eyring still being the Editors. Volume 20, in shape, make up and graphs and in general lay out still the same as volumes praised by the reviewer earlier, "focuses on the selected chemical aspects of the rare earth metals. Tb~ topics covered range from a basic treatment of cWstailine electronic effects and chemical re~tions in organi,c solvent+ to separation processes, electrochemical behavlour and sensor technol(+gy and analytical proce° dure~". What the reviewer likes even more to ~tress, is the di.~u~sion of technical applications of rare ear~h~, mostly in high temperature coffosion protection and in chemical canadian and control+ It will be difficult to lind a compar° ~ble educative article on e,g+ the influence of r ~ ea.+hs on corrosion of Mg+, AI°, Zn°, Cu+ and Fe -alloys. Reviewer however experienced problems with the abbreviations in the various steles, e.g. in chapter 139 p. 3 one reads ....ex+ traction of rare e ~ s ..... ; in chapter 140..... effectiveness of the R salt .... or p. 59... R elements or in chapter 141 it is more confusing: M in p. 95 seems to represent a metals in general+ and on p+ 113 3,5+3+ MCPAIY overlay coatings M seems to be synonimous for r ~ earth elements, which in 143 are called "rare earth" but in chapter 144 "Lanth-
El~vier Science B.V. PII S0925-8388t96~02845.9
anides" as in 145 and 146. A note in the "Instrkuctions for Contributors" might help!! Let's go back to the contents: Chapter 139 on "Separation chemistry" is a nice introduction to the more specialised sections 143. "Chemical Sensors" - very interesting in its description of the combination of solid state properties and applications of mixed oxides- 145, "Solution and anion interaction in organic solvents" or 146. "Trace determination of lanthanides in high purity r~e earth oxides", a problem touching many different areas from lairs to magnetic bubble devices. The last chapter is rather short but nevertheless wi~ information even for the specialist. The remaining up to now not mentioned, chapters 142. "Rare earth intermetallics for metal-hydrogen batteries" - and 145. "Crystal field in non-metallic (rare ear,h) compounds" look a little bit strange in this chemical surroundings. They surely are important but reviewer would have placed them not sandwiched between purely "chemical" articles. Somehow reviewer had problems with the Subject Index: He tried to look for "Al°Li-Sc alloys" °the modern aircraft light° weight structure components+ Failure with AI, failure with I. failure witil Alloy, where is it? or "Batteries'"? ="Ana~ lyrical Chemistry" p. 2 however is listed. To finally: Volume 21 is one more addition to the Handbook, very nicely laid out and printed. May be the ~itors should stress a little the general line and shape the contributions of the authors a little more into the "Handbook" mould. Everyone with rare earths interest finds something useful and new to him in volume 21 too, "Gltickauf" for the continuation. Chfistoph J, Raub Schw~ibisch Gmtind, Germany
AU.@~ AHD COMP(X~D$ ELSEVIER
Journal of Alloys and Compounds 255 (1997) 266
Book review
Handbook on the physics and chemistry of rare earths, Volume 21 E d i ~ by K.A. Gschneidner Jr. and L. Eyring 496 pages, ISBN 0-444-82178-3 Hardbound, Price: DFL 340.00 US$ 212.50, North Holland/El~vier Science, Amsterdam (1995) It needs 6 pages to list the contents of the already appeared 20 volumes of this Handbook - from 1978 to 1995 - with a total of more than i0 000 pages. It shows too the necessity of such a tremendous undertaking and the competence of editors and con~butors, Professors G~heidner and Eyring still being the Editors. Volume 20, in shape, make up and graphs and in general lay out still the same as volumes praised by the reviewer earlier, "focuses on the selected chemical aspects of the rare earth metals. Tb~ topics covered range from a basic treatment of cWstailine electronic effects and chemical re~tions in organi,c solvent+ to separation processes, electrochemical behavlour and sensor technol(+gy and analytical proce° dure~". What the reviewer likes even more to ~tress, is the di.~u~sion of technical applications of rare ear~h~, mostly in high temperature coffosion protection and in chemical canadian and control+ It will be difficult to lind a compar° ~ble educative article on e,g+ the influence of r ~ ea.+hs on corrosion of Mg+, AI°, Zn°, Cu+ and Fe -alloys. Reviewer however experienced problems with the abbreviations in the various steles, e.g. in chapter 139 p. 3 one reads ....ex+ traction of rare e ~ s ..... ; in chapter 140..... effectiveness of the R salt .... or p. 59... R elements or in chapter 141 it is more confusing: M in p. 95 seems to represent a metals in general+ and on p+ 113 3,5+3+ MCPAIY overlay coatings M seems to be synonimous for r ~ earth elements, which in 143 are called "rare earth" but in chapter 144 "Lanth-
El~vier Science B.V. PII S0925-8388t96~02845.9
anides" as in 145 and 146. A note in the "Instrkuctions for Contributors" might help!! Let's go back to the contents: Chapter 139 on "Separation chemistry" is a nice introduction to the more specialised sections 143. "Chemical Sensors" - very interesting in its description of the combination of solid state properties and applications of mixed oxides- 145, "Solution and anion interaction in organic solvents" or 146. "Trace determination of lanthanides in high purity r~e earth oxides", a problem touching many different areas from lairs to magnetic bubble devices. The last chapter is rather short but nevertheless wi~ information even for the specialist. The remaining up to now not mentioned, chapters 142. "Rare earth intermetallics for metal-hydrogen batteries" - and 145. "Crystal field in non-metallic (rare ear,h) compounds" look a little bit strange in this chemical surroundings. They surely are important but reviewer would have placed them not sandwiched between purely "chemical" articles. Somehow reviewer had problems with the Subject Index: He tried to look for "Al°Li-Sc alloys" °the modern aircraft light° weight structure components+ Failure with AI, failure with I. failure witil Alloy, where is it? or "Batteries'"? ="Ana~ lyrical Chemistry" p. 2 however is listed. To finally: Volume 21 is one more addition to the Handbook, very nicely laid out and printed. May be the ~itors should stress a little the general line and shape the contributions of the authors a little more into the "Handbook" mould. Everyone with rare earths interest finds something useful and new to him in volume 21 too, "Gltickauf" for the continuation. Chfistoph J, Raub Schw~ibisch Gmtind, Germany