Vinyl polymerization vol. 1, part II kinetics and mechanisms of polymerization

Vinyl polymerization vol. 1, part II kinetics and mechanisms of polymerization

Book Reviews Treatise on coatings, Vol. H Characterization of coatings: physical techniques, Part 1 Edited by R. R. MYERSand J. S. LONG Marcel Dekker,...

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Book Reviews Treatise on coatings, Vol. H Characterization of coatings: physical techniques, Part 1 Edited by R. R. MYERSand J. S. LONG Marcel Dekker, New York, 1969, 669 pp, £18.90, 539.75 This volume comprises contributions from fifteen authors in thirteen chapters relating to techniques for identifying and characterizing coatings. The book is intended to establish the relevance of advanced analytical and specialized instrumental techniques, familiar in the high polymer field, to coatings. In this it succeeds admirably, though inevitably the different authors vary in the treatment of their subjects; some contributions stand out in such matters as detailed accounts of instruments and persuasive handling of material and argument. Most authors base their discussion specifically on coatings and not simply high polymers in general. The first chapter is something of an exception (A. R. H. Tawn on Intrinsic Properties), but it serves as a general introduction, and is concise and useful for reference. D. M. Gans has a good account ot definitions of surface area and the ambiguities attached thereto and prints a useful table of results for surface areas by different methods. Lewis and Forrestal emphasise the significance of film shrinkage during formation and its probable effect on adhesion. The two chapters on mechanical properties (Pierce and Evans) are particularly well done, especially Evans' account of the distinction between free and attached films. Haken's chapter is very detailed and good on instrumentation and analysis. Garn deals with differential thermal analysis, particularly analytical and identification aspects, but does not mention the (almost universal?) use of OTA for measuring glass transition temperatures; he offers the interesting suggestion that DTA might be used to measure energies of attachment to a surface. The remaining chapters on microscopy, radioactive isotopes (activation analysis and labelled compounds--an excellent introduction), spectroscopy (comprehensive) and photoelastic coatings (optical birefringence under stress), are of the same high standard. In the chapter on colorimetry, colour physics is dealt with adequately, but the remainder of the material (colourants and colour styling) seems oddly out of place. Allowing for the fact that the book was published in 1969 and that articles have to be written well in advance it is a little disappointing that the overwhelming bulk of the references (in some chapters very comprehensive) are for the early 60's and before. Apart from the minor blemishes mentioned, the book is an excellent one, and will serve, for the technologist and research scientist in the coatings industry, as an authoritative work of reference, although at the price quoted, unfortunately, few copies are likely to be bought by individuals. J. L. PROSSER

Vinyl polymerization Vol. 7, Part H Kinetics and mechanisms of polymerization Edited by G. E. HAM Marcel Dekker, New York, 1969, 416 pp, £10.70, $25.75 The growth in publications over the past few years has meant that research scientists rely increasingly on review articles written by specialists. Such a review may be a comprehensive summary of work to date or a progress report on more recent developments. In Part II

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BOOK REVIEWS of ' Vinyl polymerization' both types of article are included in seven chapters which are classified according to polymerization process, namely emulsion, stereospecific, anionic, cationic and radiation-induced. The reviews on stereospecific (Chapter 4) and anionic polymerization (Chapter 5) are confined to particular aspects-the Ziegler-Natta catalyst for the polymerization of propylene and polymerizations initiated with organolithium compounds respectively. Few references to papers published after 1965 are quoted in these two contributions, and because of the time interval between writing and publication active workers in stereospecific and anionic polymerization may find little of interest. However, the two chapters are a useful starting point for newcomers to these two types of polymerization. The current status of emulsion polymerization is covered thoroughly in three chapters which constitute almost half the book. In Chapter 1 the reader is led through the different mechanisms proposed for emulsion polymerization and then shown how these compare with extensive experimental data for eleven different monomer systems. It is readily apparent that a mechanism applicable to all monomers, initiators, surfactants and reaction conditions in emulsion polymerization is not available. Attempts to explain the mechanism of emulsion copolymerization (Chapter 2) and of the emulsion polymerization of ethylene at high pressures (Chapter 3) are shown to require further theoretical developments. These three chapters highlight the thesis in Part I that polymerization behaviour is dependent on monomer type and structure. This is also brought out in Chapter 6 in a review of cationic polymerization. Emphasis here is placed on how changes in monomer, catalyst, solvent and reaction conditions alter considerably the kinetics and mechanism of polymerization. Radiation-induced polymerization in the solid state oI a range of monomer systems is described in Chapter 7. The reviews of radiation-induced polymerization in the vapour and liquid states are less detailed, attention being paid to the dependence of the polymerization process (radical, cationic or anionic) on reaction conditions. This book is an adequate follow-up to Part I and achieves its objective of the right balance between theory and experiment. Part II should be bought by polymer libraries and will prove very useful to academic and industrial workers in emulsion polymerization, both as an introductory text and as a reference work. Bench workers will find the section on experimental methods in Chapter 1 of great value. Volume I is an adequate reference work on the radical polymerization of vinyl monomers to which a large proportion of Parts I and II is devoted. In view of this bias those involved in polymerization by non-radical processes are unlikely to purchase Part II for their personal libraries. J. V. DAWKINS

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