THE HYDROUS OXIDES BY HARRY BOYER WEISER FIRST EDITION MCGRAW-HILL BOOK COMPANY, INC. COPYRIGHT, 1926, BY THE MCGRAW-HILL BOOK COMPANY, INC. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THE MAPLE PRESS COMPANY, YORK, PA. PREFACE The scientific foundation of modern colloid chemistry was laid by Thomas Graham more than three score years ago as a result of his basic researches on the colloidal behavior of albumin, gums, and gelatin, and of the hydrous oxides of silicon, iron, aluminum, chromium, tin, titanium, molybdenum, and tungsten. Since Graham's time a great many investigators, van Bemmelen in particular, have studied the colloidal character and application of the hydrous oxides. So far as the author is aware, the present volume represents the first endeavor to correlate systematically and summarize critically the numerous scattered facts in an old but increasingly important field. No group of substances presents a greater variety of colloidal properties than the hydrous oxides. For this reason they have been employed frequently in the investigation of colloid chemical phenomena and applied in widely diversified ways to the industrial arts. There is little doubt that a more intimate acquaintanceship with this group of substances will serve to extend their field of usefulness rapidly. It is hoped, therefore, that the book may prove of value alike to scientist and industrialist. Portions of the manuscript of the book have been read and criticized by several gentlemen. Special acknowledgment of this sort is gratefully made to W. D. Bancroft of Cornell University, R. H. Bogue of the Bureau of Standards, F. L. Browne of the United States Forest Products Laboratory, E. M. Chamot of Cornell University, P. L. Gile of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and C. L. Parsons, Secretary of the American Chemical Society. HOUSTON, TEXAS. HARRY B. WEISER. |