Customer Reviews

Phase Equilibria in Chemical Engineering

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are a graduate (or higher) working in this field, then all you will need is a 100% complete reference, and not a textbook. Texts are for learners, and refs are for workers. Then the best and only book you will need is Stanley M. Walas's. A thick volume, not a tome!, full of diagrams, formulas, charts, and more charts, formulas and diagrams. The book text tells you 'How-to-do-it' and shows you how it is done: great, advanced calculation examples. Despite its age, (c)1985, the book layout is still attractive and follows the example of other ChemE reference titles (books published by Marcel Dekker, CRC Press, or encyclopediae, etc.) in a 'two columns per page'-style. Since this is a reference book (and not a monograph!), you probably wont need to buy it. Having a library copy on your shelf is 'a must' but also absolutely sufficient. Unless you are a librarian or you spot a super deal on a second-hand copy, I do *not* recommend to buy it (*Who* enjoys spending much money on old books, anyway??). Use it, yes!, but do not buy it! Indeed this is the very best ref on phase equilibria and chemical (engineering) thermodynamics, but since i do not recommend it to buy (because of its age), i will give it 4 stars only. *If* Professor Walas decided to publish a Second Edition, I would rate this book 5 stars and a "Strong Buy"!
Please also read my pos reviews of thermo books by Noel de Nevers 2002 and Stanley I. Sandler 1999. See also my neg review of thermo book by Smith/VanNess/Abbott 2001. For a complete listing of relevant thermo titles have a look at table 8-1, pages 8.2-8.4, in Poling/Prausnitz/O'Connell 5th ed. c2001.

This text presents the topics of equations of state,activity coefficients, phase diagrams and thermodynamic functions pertinent to the understanding and calculation of phase equilibria in chemical engineering application. Vapor-liquid, liquid-liquid, ans solid liquid equilibria are all presentd. The book presents many example calculations using real data that are very usefull.

This book has all the chemical enginneer needs to know about phase equilibria. The diagrams has real good quility and the way of explaining it's real good.

I can assure that it's one of the basic books that a chemical engineer has to have.

Excellent book for a practising chemical engineer. This book does a good job in presenting the equations and concepts for an engineer who works a lot with process design and process simulations, in understanding the thermodynamic framework that lies beneath the calculations. My only reason for not giving it 5 stars is because it is outdated and lacks a chapter on electrolyte systems. I believe Proffessor Walas should update and publish a new revised version. Its a pity that the better engineering books never seems to get revised.

After some rather shaky thermodynamics courses at college, I suddenly found myself confronted with real life problems in the
area of phase equilibria at high pressures. I found in this book everything I needed to get started. This book is oriented
towards practical calculations and does a very good job at
describing the different approaches and techniques used in the
field.