This 4th edition of Handbook of Solvents, Volume 1, contains the most recent findings and trends in solvent applications. It is a comprehensive survey of the science of solvents and their properties, covering all aspects of solvent behavior that are relevant to their use in chemical and related industries including agricultural and technical processes, inorganic synthesis and materials chemistry, and more. Divided into two volumes, this first volume covers high-level information on the physical chemical properties of the most relevant solvent systems. Each chapter is focused on a specific aspect of solvent properties that determine its selection, such as the effect on properties of solutes and solutions, properties of different groups of solvents, and the summary of their applications’ effect on health and the environment (given in tabulated form). Also covered is swelling of solids in solvents, solvent diffusion and drying processes, nature of the interaction of solvent and solute in solutions, acid-base interactions, the effect of solvents on spectral and other electronic properties of solutions, the effect of solvents on the rheology of the solution, aggregation of solutes, permeability, molecular structure, crystallinity, configuration, conformation of dissolved high molecular weight compounds, and the effect of solvents on chemical reactions and reactivity of dissolved substances.

With insight from specialists in a broad array of different areas and written with an interdisciplinary audience in mind, this thoroughly revised 4th edition provides readers with a complete overview of all the organic solvents available for industrial applications today. The book contains numerous references to key sources of more detailed information, and together with Handbook of Solvents Volume 2: Use, Health, and Environment; Databook of Green Solvents; and Databook of Solvents, represents the most comprehensive and up-to-date information ever published on solvents.

• Provides key insights that will help engineers and scientists select the best solvent for the job


• Includes practical information and ideas on how to improve existing processes involving solvents


• Presents the latest advances in solvent technology and their applications