Chemical Properties Handbook: Physical, Thermodynamics, Engironmental Transport, Safety & Health Related Properties for Organic & Inorganic Chemical

Rating:
Summary: Handbook supplies huge amount of properties information.
Review: The author has produced a unique chemical, physical, and thermodynamics properties reference for scientists, researchers, chemists, and engineers. Those working in agricultural chemicals, environmental studies, explosion hazards, petroleum refining, petrochemicals, pollution control, safety and health, soil and groundwater remediation, and many other fields where finding properties data is important, will find this handbook highly beneficial. Dr. Yaws, assisted by colleagues and students, has worked for years in the fields of properties correlation, usage, estimation, and values collection from hundreds of references.

The NST/Engineers, Inc. reviewers found that in this book, in a compact form, readers will learn to use methods for getting massive amounts of temperature-variable data for a number of important properties variables. That is, as opposed to the older method of property versus temperature for each chemical compound being presented as a separate table, here key constants are provided in a single row of data. The compact form used is the correlation equation that contains the constants. You get the property value you want, at a temperature you choose, by making a fairly simple calculation. However, many other useful tables are provided where properties data is simply listed. As it is, the book has nearly eight hundred pages. Had the older method been used exclusively, it would have required a library of books.

The correlation equations have been either developed or selected from the literature. References providing a deeper understanding of the correlations are provided. The typical correlation equation used gives the property as the dependent variable, temperature as the independent variable, and values for the necessary constants. The range of temperatures is given over which the correlation and its constants are most valid. Both experimentally-measured and estimated data that are considered reliable have been used in determining the constants.

An example is the table of constants and their valid temperature range for the Gibbs (Free) Energy of Formation, delta Gf, specifically for organic compounds as gases. It is based on a correlation equation that is a series expansion in temperature. A table row gives the organic's name and formula, values for the three constants, and the valid temperature range. Just in case you want the delta Gf value at room temperature, the measured value at 298K is listed. If you want to check your calculating ability, the calculated value at 500K is also listed. All temperatures are in Kelvin. The text explains that delta Gf values are used in determining the probability that a proposed chemical reaction, or decomposition, will take place. For a reaction, you select reactants and reaction products that make a balanced equation. Using the table, you add the delta Gf values for all the products and subtract from that total all the delta Gf values of the reactants. If the result is negative, the reaction will probably occur. The more negative the result, the more likely the reaction. If the result is positive a reaction is not expected.

The table for inorganics is different. Only values at room temperature are given. However, room temperature values for Helmholtz Energy of Formation (used in estimating the energy of vapor cloud explosions) and Entropy of Formation (also used in explosion estimates) are listed.

Other correlation-keyed tables presented are: Heat Capacities of Gases, Liquids and Solids; Enthalpy of Vaporization; Vapor Pressure; Liquid Density; Surface Tension; Enthalpy of Formation of Gases; Solubility of Organic Compounds in Water Containing Salt up to Saturation, at selected temperatures; Solubility of Organic Compounds in Water as a Function of Temperature; Henry's Law Constant for Organic Compounds in Water; Adsorption of Organics on Activated Carbon; Soil Sorption Coefficient for Organics in Water; Viscosity of Gases and Liquids; Thermal Conductivity of Gases, Liquids, and Solids; and Coefficient of Expansion of Liquids.

Major data tables presented are: Critical Properties and Acentric Factor; Enthalpy of Fusion; Refractive Index, Dipole Moment, and Radius of Gyration; Entropy and Entropy of Formation of Gases; Solubility Parameter,Liquid Volume, and Van Der Waals Area and Volume; Solubility in Water and Octanol-Water Partition Coefficient for Organic Compounds; Explosive Limits in Air, Flash Point, and Autoignition Temperature; Enthalpy of Combustion of Organic Compounds at 77 deg. F; and Exposure Limits for Safeguarding Health.

Note the application of a number of these tables to air and water pollution control and soil remediation projects. Keeping in mind that estimations have played an important part in preparing the tables in the handbook, users must understand that if carefully determined experimental data could be obtained where it does not now exist, such values could vary from values obtained from the tables. However, where the author has checked estimated and correlation data with measured data, the variation was usually no more than several percent.

There are helpful appendixes listing: organics by increasing carbon content in the formula, name, and CAS Number; inorganics listed alphabetically by formula, with name and CAS Number; then organics and inorganics by increasing CAS Number; and finally organics and inorganics listed alphabetically by their synonyms that you might see in U.S. industrial or international chemical literature, together with formulas, the name used in the handbook's tables, and the CAS Number.

The great advantages of the book are that it provides access to such a large amount of properties data that otherwise would cost the searcher a great amount of time and effort to obtain, and it is in a compact form.

Rating:
Summary: A comprehensive list of properties for many compounds.
Review: This book covers a widee range of physical properties. The major criticism that I have for this reference book is that the data is presented in a way that is not always readily useful in creating spreadsheets and programs to use the data efficiently.

Other more historical references also have a more comprehensive representation of the data that in this book (although it would be difficult to fit all the detailed information of every compound out there into one book). Not a bad place to start to look for information - but no means a bible.

Rating:
Summary: Handbook supplies huge amount of properties information.
Review: This book is a reasonably well ordered compilation of process fluid properties for a remarkably broad range of fluids. This book is a "must have" for anyone dealing with a broad range of process industries. It is a "good to have" for all other engineers working in chemical process industry.

Rating:
Summary: Essential compilation of data for many process fluids
Review: This book is a reasonably well ordered compilation of process fluid properties for a remarkably broad range of fluids. This book is a "must have" for anyone dealing with a broad range of process industries. It is a "good to have" for all other engineers working in chemical process industry.