Directory of Solvents

Book excerpt: Organic solvents represent a class of compounds whose utility is central to industrial and academic chemistry. The impact of solvents in everyday products such as paints, surface coatings, adhesives, pharmaceuticals and cleaning products is enormous, and there is therefore much interest in their use. This volume is divided into two parts. Part 1 provides and authoritative review of the science and technology of solvents and related issues. The topics covered are solvency and its measurement, flammability, health and toxicology, environmental issues, legislative information, transport, storage, recovery and disposal, and a review of solvent applications. Part 2 provides reliable, up- to-date data, based on information provided by manufacturers and suppliers and is presented as a database of over 350 solvent products, subdivided by solvent group. The data are also presented in key parameter tables, covering boiling points, melting points, evaporation information, vapor pressure, flash points, solubility parameters, auto ignition temperatures, and names and addresses of manufacturers, with trade names. In recent years there has been increased interest in health and safety, environmental issues and aspects of the legislative control of chemicals, including solvents, and the choice of a given solvent has therefore become more complex. The Directory of Solvents aims to provide in one place a broad spread of physico-chemical data, together with transport, safety, environmental and classification information provided by major European and U.S. suppliers and manufacturers of industrial organic solvents.