This comprehensive handbook provides a textual analysis of the principles of solvent selection and use. It offers a balanced presentation of solvent performance, processing, characteristics, and environmental issues. It explains solvent formulation principles for 33 major industries, identifies the risks and benefits of specific solvents and classes of solvents, and discusses the newest water-based technologies.

From the Preface: “...Many excellent books on solvents have been published in the past and most of these are referenced in this book. But of all these books none has given a comprehensive overview of all aspects of solvent use. Access to comprehensive data is an essential part of solvent evaluation and it has been a hallmark of such books to provide tables filled with date to the point at which 50 to 95% of the book is data. This approach seems to neglect a fundamental requirement of a handbook — to provide the background, explanation and clarifications that are needed to convert data to information and assist the reader in gaining a knowledge to make a decision on selecting a process or solvent...”

Target Audience: Solvent manufacturers and formulators; environmental and industrial engineers; industrial hygienists; legislators and regulators; and students concerned with the attributes and drawbacks of solvents.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

Fundamental Principles Governing Solvents Use

Production Methods, Properties, and Main Applications

General Principals Governing Dissolution of Materials in Solvents

Solubility of Selected Systems and Influence of Solutes

Swelling

Solvent Transport Phenomena

Interactions in Solvents and Solutions

Mixed Solvents

Acid—Base Interactions

Electronic and Electrical Effects of Solvents

Other Properties of Solvents, Solutions, and Products Obtained from Solutions

Effect of Solvent on Chemical Reactions and Reactivity

Solvent Use in Various Industries

Methods of Solvent Detection and Testing

Residual Solvents in Products

Environmental Impact of Solvents

Concentration of Solvents in Various Industrial Environments

Regulations

Toxic Effects of Solvent Exposure

Substitution of Solvents by Safer Products and Processes

Solvent Recycling, Removal, and Degradation

Contamination Cleanup: Natural Attenuation and Advanced Remediation Technologies

Protection

New Trends Based on Patent Literature

Index