This book was written by a group of experts on various subjects of solvents' use, the fundamental principles governing their application, effect on health and environment, residual solvents in products, their concentration in industrial environments, current regulations, safer substitutes, non-emitting technologies of use, contamination cleanup, personal protection, and the most modern trends in future technology. The authors, who are the members of prestigious universities and industries from around the world, altogether have previously written 47 books and hundreds of papers on the subject and here they give a synthesis of their experiences and opinions on how best to change the global use of solvents in order to obtain benefits of technology and at the same time limit risk and health effects, and more.
All 25 chapters of this book were written between summer of 1999 and spring of 2000 and contain over 5000 references to source literature, enabling the user to find specific information on any subject related to solvents. The text is illustrated by figures and tables which compare in number with multi-volume encyclopedias.
In addition to the unquestionable value of the book for those who deal with solvents, the book is invaluable for a much larger audience because many theoretical principles governing complex materials, e.g., polymers, blends, drug delivery systems, etc. were developed on models of simple materials such as solvents. The book contains analysis of over 30 industries. The book also contains information on solvent effect on most parts of the human body, e.g, brain, nervous system, lungs, liver, kidneys, etc., workers, unborn babies, in-door inhabitants, etc. It gives ideas to improve hundreds of technological process and materials on the market. This book contains information useful for readers at any level of previous knowledge and experience because of its comprehensiveness and expertly written, easily understandable text.
The authors of this book have rendered their expert and balanced opinions on how to make effective changes without losing benefits. This is an invaluable reference source which brings together in a single volume all fundamental aspects and the latest advances in solvent technology and products they are used for. This book should not be missed by these who deal with solvents and should be made available in reference sections of university, technical, and public libraries.