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Techniques in visible and ultraviolet spectrometry, vol 3. Practical absorption spectrometry (ultraviolet spectrometry group)
The Chemical Engineering Journal, 32 (1986)
63
63 - 64
Book Reviews
Techniques in Visible and Ultraviolet Spectrometry, Vol. 3. Practical Absorption Spectrometry (Ultraviolet Spectrometry Group) edited by A. Knowles and C. Burgess; published by Chapman and Hall, London, 1984; 234 pp.; price, $18.00 (hard cover)
This book is the third in the series from the UV Spectromety Group, Volumes 1 and 2 being Standards in Absorption Spectromety and Standards in Fluorescence Spectrometry respectively. It is the stated policy of the editors of Volume 3 that it should be a readable book for the newcomer to analytical spectrometry, and at the same time might improve the technique of the non-tiro. This aim has probably been achieved. There are 13 chapters, a glossary and three appendixes, involving 13 contributors, and the clear sectioning of the book means that there is little or no redundancy of information. On average there are about 13 references per chapter, spanning the interval from 1928 to 1983, although most are post-1970. These references are an important feature of the book and will be very useful to both new and practising spectrometrists. The appendixes concern solvent properties, transmission spectra of materials and solvents and wavelength calibration spectra. As implied by the title there is virtually no allusion to theoretical aspects, apart from a few quoted formulae, but all practical areas of the subject are covered, including for example, spectrometer design basics, signal processing, interfacing, numerical methods of data analysis, maintenance and the techniques required to obtain reliable measurements. The numerous diagrams have been kept as uncluttered as possible; they are clear and well produced and form a good complement to the factual unpretentious text. A few infelicities did emerge, however, in addition to some minor misprints. Thus, in the glossary, “frequency” is defined incorrectly and there is no separate entry for “nanometre”. The definition of M (molarity) on p. 15, is, to say
the least, ambiguous, as also is the description on p. 40 of the chemistry occurring in a quartz-iodine lamp. On p. 151 the final complete sentence does not make sense. The index seems to be satisfactory, except that the entries “Fluorescence” and “Fluorimeter” appear in the wrong place. In brief, this should prove a useful book for the technician and user alike, representing as it does a summary of much experience and know-how. A. G. BRIGGS
Frontiers in Chemical Reaction
Engineering
edited by L. K. Doraiswamy and R. A. Mashelkar; published by Wiley (Eastern) Ltd., New Delhi, 1984; Vol. I, viii + 698 pp.; Vol. II viii + 464 pp.; price, 222.90
This book contains the plenary lectures and research papers presented at the International Chemical Reaction Engineering Conference held in Pune, India, in January 1984. Volume I includes the 14 plenary lectures given at the conference together with 33 of the research papers. These are arranged in subject groups; multiphase reactors (20 papers), biochemical reactors (six papers), polymerization reactors (five papers) and general (one paper). There is a considerable variation in the length and style of the plenary lectures. Some are comprehensive reviews; others form introductions to a particular topic. Between them, they cover many important aspects of chemical reaction engineering. The research papers also vary in their manner of presentation; there is a mixture of detailed studies (theoretical and experimental) and relatively brief reports. In Volume II there are 34 papers; 22 deal with gas-solid catalytic and non-catalytic reactors, eight are concerned with dynamics and stability and four deal with fluidized-bed reactors. A wide range of individual topics are covered in this volume. Again, there is the 0 Elsevier Sequoia/Printed
in The Netherlands
63
63 - 64
Book Reviews
Techniques in Visible and Ultraviolet Spectrometry, Vol. 3. Practical Absorption Spectrometry (Ultraviolet Spectrometry Group) edited by A. Knowles and C. Burgess; published by Chapman and Hall, London, 1984; 234 pp.; price, $18.00 (hard cover)
This book is the third in the series from the UV Spectromety Group, Volumes 1 and 2 being Standards in Absorption Spectromety and Standards in Fluorescence Spectrometry respectively. It is the stated policy of the editors of Volume 3 that it should be a readable book for the newcomer to analytical spectrometry, and at the same time might improve the technique of the non-tiro. This aim has probably been achieved. There are 13 chapters, a glossary and three appendixes, involving 13 contributors, and the clear sectioning of the book means that there is little or no redundancy of information. On average there are about 13 references per chapter, spanning the interval from 1928 to 1983, although most are post-1970. These references are an important feature of the book and will be very useful to both new and practising spectrometrists. The appendixes concern solvent properties, transmission spectra of materials and solvents and wavelength calibration spectra. As implied by the title there is virtually no allusion to theoretical aspects, apart from a few quoted formulae, but all practical areas of the subject are covered, including for example, spectrometer design basics, signal processing, interfacing, numerical methods of data analysis, maintenance and the techniques required to obtain reliable measurements. The numerous diagrams have been kept as uncluttered as possible; they are clear and well produced and form a good complement to the factual unpretentious text. A few infelicities did emerge, however, in addition to some minor misprints. Thus, in the glossary, “frequency” is defined incorrectly and there is no separate entry for “nanometre”. The definition of M (molarity) on p. 15, is, to say
the least, ambiguous, as also is the description on p. 40 of the chemistry occurring in a quartz-iodine lamp. On p. 151 the final complete sentence does not make sense. The index seems to be satisfactory, except that the entries “Fluorescence” and “Fluorimeter” appear in the wrong place. In brief, this should prove a useful book for the technician and user alike, representing as it does a summary of much experience and know-how. A. G. BRIGGS
Frontiers in Chemical Reaction
Engineering
edited by L. K. Doraiswamy and R. A. Mashelkar; published by Wiley (Eastern) Ltd., New Delhi, 1984; Vol. I, viii + 698 pp.; Vol. II viii + 464 pp.; price, 222.90
This book contains the plenary lectures and research papers presented at the International Chemical Reaction Engineering Conference held in Pune, India, in January 1984. Volume I includes the 14 plenary lectures given at the conference together with 33 of the research papers. These are arranged in subject groups; multiphase reactors (20 papers), biochemical reactors (six papers), polymerization reactors (five papers) and general (one paper). There is a considerable variation in the length and style of the plenary lectures. Some are comprehensive reviews; others form introductions to a particular topic. Between them, they cover many important aspects of chemical reaction engineering. The research papers also vary in their manner of presentation; there is a mixture of detailed studies (theoretical and experimental) and relatively brief reports. In Volume II there are 34 papers; 22 deal with gas-solid catalytic and non-catalytic reactors, eight are concerned with dynamics and stability and four deal with fluidized-bed reactors. A wide range of individual topics are covered in this volume. Again, there is the 0 Elsevier Sequoia/Printed
in The Netherlands