Bottom Line: Outside of extremely
expensive encyclopedias covering the topic, this is the best reference for discovering
details about the most common chemical processing industries. Usually, you'll find
just what you needed to know in this book.
Summary: Shreve's takes a industry-segment approach
to describing the most common chemical processes. Each segment includes a nice
amount of detail regarding the processes. You won't find every process flow diagram
for every chemical produced (but there are many of them), but you will find a nice
overview of many chemical process industries.
The book is divided into the following main
sections: Chemical Processing and the Work of the Chemical Engineer
Water Conditioning and Environmental Protection
Energy, Fuels, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration
Coal Chemicals
Fuel Gases
Industrial Gases
Industrial Carbon
Ceramic Industries
Portland Cements, Calcium, and Magnesium Compounds
Glass Industries
Salt and Miscellaneous Sodium Compounds
Chlor-Alkali Industries: Soda Ash, Caustic Soda, and Chlorine
Electrolytic Industries
Electrothermal Industries
Phosphorus Industries
Potassium Industries
Nitrogen Industries
Sulfur and Sulfuric Acid
Hydrochloric Acid and Miscellaneous Inorganic Chemicals
Nuclear Industries
Explosives, Propellants, and Toxic Chemical Agents
Photographic Products Industry
Surface Coating Industries
Food and Food By-Product Industries
Agrichemical Industries
Fragrances, Flavors, and Food Additives
Oils, Fats, and Waxes
Soap and Detergents
Fermentation Industries
Wood-Derived Chemicals
Pulp and Paper Industries
Plastic Industries
Manmade Fibers and Film Industries
Rubber Industries
Petroleum Processing
Petrochemicals
Cyclic Intermediates and Dyes
Pharmaceutical Industries
Appendix
Layout: Sections or individual
chemicals can include a basic introduction, history of the process, economics, historical
outputs, process details, uses, and future developments. Use of graphics is very
good and the organization makes the book easy to use.
From the Book:
Highs: Provides a nice level of
detail on the topics covered. Covers topics that some other references leave out.
Lows: The book is a bit dated
with the latest edition from 1984
Overall: A great
reference at a good price. If you're curious about a particular chemical process
industry, you should be able to find out all you need to know from this book. Few
books are appropriate from both students and professional, but this is one of them.
Shreve's Chemical Process Industries
(out of four stars)