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Wastewater treatment by ion exchange
192
Wastewater Treatment by Ion Exchange, by B.A. Bolto and L. Pawlowski, E. and F.N. Spon Ltd., London and New York, 1987, hardcover, viii + 262 pages, ISBN 0-41913320-8, £24.50, $38.22.
This reviewer has always been fascinated by books that have been co-authored by workers who work and live in opposite ends of the world. I am further fascinated by such books when they result in a product that is well-written, timely and replete with valuable information. A book on an important subject that is written by one or two authorities and not by a myriad of authors is also most welcome. The book by Bolto and Pawlowski, two authorities on the subject of Waste Treatment by Ion Exchange, fits the criteria just enumerated. Not only do the authors describe the subject matter of wastewater treatment quite authoritatively, they put ion exchange technology into its proper perspective with respect to competing technology (Chapter 1). Although the material contained in Chapters I and 2 is available elsewhere in several books, the subject matter is so well written and organized that it really belongs in the book. The same may be said of Chapters 11-14 on the Stability of Ion Exchange Resins and Engineering. Chapters 4-10 contain the most exhaustive and comprehensive treatment of the application of ion exchange to the treatment of wastewaters including the basis as well as specific data and flowsheets. The applications presented include (1) the treatment of plating wastes and the recovery of valuable as well as toxic metal species from various wastewaters, (2) recycling of wastes from the fertilizer industry, (3) reuse of sewage effluents, and (4) the treatment of various wastes emanating from the organic chemical industry. Each chapter contains a complete list of references that more than adequately cover the material.
The authors note that they have made no attempt to discuss the treatment of radioactive wastes, but a brief overview of this subject should have been included. Chapter 15 represents the most complete catalogue of commercial ion exchange resins and polymeric adsorbents currently in existence. Not only is this chapter replete with the basic data available for the many products, the names and addresses of the various manufacturers are also listed. This chapter, by itself, is probably worth the price of the book. Some engineers and chemists in North America might be disappointed by the fact that the authors have reported data only in metric or SI units; however, there are many hand calculators readily available that can be used by those only familiar with "English" units. Perhaps a conversion table might have been included by the authors. However, the reviewer feels that the time has come for us in North America to forget about ion exchange units such as kilograins per cubic foot and grains per gallon, both units being expressed as calcium carbonate even though no calcium carbonate is present. Finally, the printing and binding are of good quality. The reviewer, who is not a good proof reader, found essentially no errors of any significance. ROBERT KUNIN Yardley, PA, U.S.A.
Side Chain Liquid Crystal Polymers, by C.B. McArdle (Ed.), Blackie Publishers, Glasgow, U.K., January 1989, 448 pages, ISBN 0-216-92503-7, £75.00. Textbooks dealing with liquid crystal polymers appeared in 1978, 1982 and 1985, and in addition a number of important book chapters and reviews have appeared from time to time. The whole area is of considerable technologi-
Wastewater Treatment by Ion Exchange, by B.A. Bolto and L. Pawlowski, E. and F.N. Spon Ltd., London and New York, 1987, hardcover, viii + 262 pages, ISBN 0-41913320-8, £24.50, $38.22.
This reviewer has always been fascinated by books that have been co-authored by workers who work and live in opposite ends of the world. I am further fascinated by such books when they result in a product that is well-written, timely and replete with valuable information. A book on an important subject that is written by one or two authorities and not by a myriad of authors is also most welcome. The book by Bolto and Pawlowski, two authorities on the subject of Waste Treatment by Ion Exchange, fits the criteria just enumerated. Not only do the authors describe the subject matter of wastewater treatment quite authoritatively, they put ion exchange technology into its proper perspective with respect to competing technology (Chapter 1). Although the material contained in Chapters I and 2 is available elsewhere in several books, the subject matter is so well written and organized that it really belongs in the book. The same may be said of Chapters 11-14 on the Stability of Ion Exchange Resins and Engineering. Chapters 4-10 contain the most exhaustive and comprehensive treatment of the application of ion exchange to the treatment of wastewaters including the basis as well as specific data and flowsheets. The applications presented include (1) the treatment of plating wastes and the recovery of valuable as well as toxic metal species from various wastewaters, (2) recycling of wastes from the fertilizer industry, (3) reuse of sewage effluents, and (4) the treatment of various wastes emanating from the organic chemical industry. Each chapter contains a complete list of references that more than adequately cover the material.
The authors note that they have made no attempt to discuss the treatment of radioactive wastes, but a brief overview of this subject should have been included. Chapter 15 represents the most complete catalogue of commercial ion exchange resins and polymeric adsorbents currently in existence. Not only is this chapter replete with the basic data available for the many products, the names and addresses of the various manufacturers are also listed. This chapter, by itself, is probably worth the price of the book. Some engineers and chemists in North America might be disappointed by the fact that the authors have reported data only in metric or SI units; however, there are many hand calculators readily available that can be used by those only familiar with "English" units. Perhaps a conversion table might have been included by the authors. However, the reviewer feels that the time has come for us in North America to forget about ion exchange units such as kilograins per cubic foot and grains per gallon, both units being expressed as calcium carbonate even though no calcium carbonate is present. Finally, the printing and binding are of good quality. The reviewer, who is not a good proof reader, found essentially no errors of any significance. ROBERT KUNIN Yardley, PA, U.S.A.
Side Chain Liquid Crystal Polymers, by C.B. McArdle (Ed.), Blackie Publishers, Glasgow, U.K., January 1989, 448 pages, ISBN 0-216-92503-7, £75.00. Textbooks dealing with liquid crystal polymers appeared in 1978, 1982 and 1985, and in addition a number of important book chapters and reviews have appeared from time to time. The whole area is of considerable technologi-