Sheldon

Book Reviews Functional monomers Edited by R. H. Yocum and E. B. N/quist Marcel Dekker, New York, 1973, Vol 1, 715 pp. $39.50; 1974, Vol 2, 817 pp. $46.50 In these two volumes, written and edited by six members of the Dow Chemical Company staff, one obviously benefits from the technical and information resources of a large organization, resulting in a competent and comprehensive review. The title refers to monomers which undergo addition polymerization and, which although generally used only in small amount in relation to other polymerizable compounds, introduce into the final polymers groups capable o f further modification or reaction so as to provide specific properties such as ability to crosslink, modified surface behaviour, or enhanced solubility, adhesion or dye receptivity. Thus the subject is onewhich will have appeal to a wide range of readers, many of whom are concerned with preparation and polymerization or with macromolecular design and behaviour to meet specific end-uses. The chapters in both volumes show commendable uniformity in treatment and include sections on synthesis, chemical reactions, physical properties and polymerizability, technical applications and some, but probably far from complete, commercial information regarding suppliers and costs. Much of the information on structure, synthesis and properties is summarized and presented in tabular form, thus providing for quick review and reference. At the end of each chapter there are many hundreds of references to the relevant literature which serve to bring the subjects up to early 1970, although as the editors indicate, in an area such as this where scientific and technical advance is rapid, the books cannot be regarded as the last word. However, they will obviate the need for much time-consuming literature searching and for this reason alone could be welcomed. In the first volume are four chapters dealing with acrylamide and other a,/3-unsaturated amides; reactive halogen-containing monomers (but excluding for very obvious reasons vinyl and allyl halides and chloroprene); hydroxy monomers such as hydroxyalkyl acrylic esters, allyl alcohol, N-methylolacrylamides; and ethylene-, allyland styrene-sulphonic acids and 2-sulphoethyl methacrylate. The second volume comprises three chapters on reactive heterocyclic monomers co ntaining three, five and six-membered rings (thus covering compounds such as glycidyl methacrylate, allyl glycidyl ether, vinyl o xazolidones and pyrazo les, vinyMne carbonate, and unsaturated dioxolanes - vinyl pyridine and maleic anhydride are more adequately dealt with in later chapters); acidic monomers based on maleic, fumaric, itaconic and erotonic acids; and basic monomers such as the vinyl pyridines and aminoalkyl acrylates and methacrylates. Apart from some omissions in the compounds covered, e.g., reactive vinyl esters like the chloroacetate, N-substituted maleimides and vinyl propiolactone, the several types of functional monomer are well represented and the more important ones considered very fully. Particular aspects of preparation and manufacture, reactions, polymerization behaviour, and properties receive detailed attention, although discussion is generally based on the publications concerned and there may be a lack of critical review of some of the references or expert appraisal of some of the technical information, particularly that based on patent disclosures. Lay-out of the text, formulae and binding are good but the printed format relies on photoreduced typescript of only moderate contrast which compares unfavourably with conventional type. Again, the numbering systems used for compounds, reactions and references can lead to some confusion. There are some errors in the typescript but these are generally of a minor nature. Author and subject indexes are included although the latter seem to be quite inadequate in view of the comprehensive nature of the work, and fuller itemization would have been an advantage. The volumes are, perhaps understandably, somewhat expensive (together they amount to $86, equivalent to some £36) but to those interested in the preparation, reactions and uses of the monomers or in technical applications of derived polymers and copolymers, they are a worthwhile investment, providing a well informed source of information and means of rapid reference. Many academic and industrial workers will find it useful to have access to these books.

R. d. W. Reynolds

472

POLYMER, 1975, Vol 16, June

Polymer spectroscopy Edited by D. O. Hummel

Verlag Chemic, Weinheim, 1974, 401 pp. DM 125 The book is intended for practising chemists and spectroscopists concerned with polymers in industry and in universities. Apart from diffraction techniques, spectroscopic methods offer the main means of elucidating the structures of polymers: these methods have been brought together here. The chapter entitled Vibrational spectroscopy is sub-divided into the contributions: Vibrational analysis of highly ordered polymers by H. Tadokoro and M. Kobayashi; Applied infrared spectroscopy by D. O. Hummel; Raman spectroscopy by P. J. Hendra; at 180 pages this is the longest chapter. The remaining chapters are High resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy by E. Klesper and G. Sielaff (95 pages); Electron spin resonance by H. Fisher, D. O. Hummel, H. D. Schtlddemage and K. Rtibenacker (31 pages). The size of the articles is in direct proportion to the importance and level of treatment given to the various branches of spectroscopy. The book is well printed and bound and it is profusely illustrated: there is a subject but not a name index. The scientific literature is cluttered with spectroscopic compendia claiming to give special insight into some topic but mainly they represent well-documented basic material. This book, however, rarely deviates from its intended purpose of describing the applications of spectroscopic methods to polymer systems. Thus the reviewer can recommend the book to anyone interested in the structural aspects of polymers L.H. Sutcliffe

Structured polymer properties R. J. Samuels John Wiley, New York, 1974, 251 pp. £10.60 This book aims to present a unified approach to the quantitative correlation of crystalline polymer structure with both fabrication and end use property behaviour, in such a way that it will be of interest to polymer physicists, chemists and engineers as well as advanced course students. Following a short introductory chapter on the nature of crystallinity in polymers with special reference to polypropylene, a second chapter is devoted to details of techniques used in the characterization of polycrystalline polymer structure including those of wide angle X-ray diffraction, sonic modulus, birefringence, infra-red dichroism and small angle light scattering in the context of actual application. The third chapter concerns structural interpretation of the fabrication processes for polypropylene film and fibre formation. The last chapter which precedes some concluding remarks deals with the quantitative correlation of polymer structure with end-use properties, using polypropylene and poly(ethylene terephthalate) as examples. The overall impression of this book is that it is authoritative reflecting a great deal of the author's personal experience as an industrial and academic scientist. Indeed so much does the impression come through, occasionally as in say, chapter 3 where coded reference to polymer samples used, one almost has the feeling of reading an original paper. On the other hand, experimental details of technique provide an air of conviction from which the most casual reader can only presume an expert acquaintance of the author with his subject. Despite one or two minor irritations such as a suggestion for further reading to a book still in preparation or a different type face for the index compared with the main text, the book appears to be remarkably free from errors and its easy style makes it most readable. The book is particulalry recommended to workers in the general as well as specific field and to more advanced students. Other readers may have some difficulty in appreciating the significance of the account in the broader area ot~ polymeric materials as a whole, although after reading the book they would then be well armed to seek this significance.

R. P. Sheldon Typeset by Mid-County Press, London SW19 Printed by Kingprint Ltd, Richmond, Surrey