Sol-Gel Science: The Physics and Chemistry of Sol-Gel Processing [Hardcover]

C. Jeffrey Brinker (Author), George W. Scherer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0121349705 | ISBN-13: 978-0121349707 | Publication Date: May 12, 1990 | Edition: 1

Sol-Gel Science presents the physical and chemical principles of the sol-gel process at a level suitable for graduate students and practitioners in the field. This book defines sol-gel rather broadly as the preparation of ceramic materials by preparation of a sol, gelation of the sol, and removal of the solvent. The sol may be produced from inorganic or organic precursors (e.g., nitrates or alkoxides) and may consist of dense oxide particles of polymeric clusters. Brinker expands the definition of ceramics to include organically modified materials, often called ORMOSILs or CERAMERs. The emphasis of the author' treatment is on the science, rather than the technology, of sol-gel processing. Although a chapter on applications is included, more detailed discussion is available in proceedings of conferences and in the recent collection of articles, Sol-Gel Technology for thin films, Fibers, Preforms, Electronics, and Specialty Shapes (Noyes, Park Ridge, N.J., 1988), edited by professor Lisa Klein.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

C. Jeffrey Brinker is widely recognized for his pioneering work in sol-gel chemistry - the formation of ceramic materials from molecular precursors. His initial efforts addressed the processing of highly refractory glasses like fused silica at remarkably low temperatures - less than half that of conventional melt-processing. He then turned his attention to the preparation of porous materials useful for a wide range of applications including antireflective coatings, sensors, membranes, adsorbents, and thermal and acoustic insulation. Through exploitation of the scaling relationships of mass and size of fractal objects, he devised a fractal engineering approach to tailor the porosity and pore size of these materials. This early work culminated in the publication of Sol-Gel Science in 1990 (with co-author George Scherer), a book that remains the most highly cited reference in this rapidly growing field.

From 1974 to 1985, Professor George W. Scherer was at Corning Glass Works, where his research included optical fiber fabrication, viscous sintering, and viscoelastic stress analysis. The latter work was the subject of his first book, Relaxation in Glass and Composites (Wiley, 1986). From 1985 through 1995, he was a member of the Central Research Department of the DuPont Company, where his work dealt principally with sol-gel processing, and especially with drying. In collaboration with Jeff Brinker of Sandia National Labs, he wrote a book entitled Sol-Gel Science (Academic Press, 1990). He is a fellow of the American Ceramic Society and a member of the Materials Research Society, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Concrete Institute, and RILEM. In 1997 he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. In February, 1996, he became a full professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Princeton University, and a member of the Princeton Materials Institute (now, PRISM). His research involves mechanisms of deterioration of concrete and stone, particularly by crystallization of ice and salts in the pores.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 912 pages
• Publisher: Academic Press; 1 edition (May 12, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0121349705
• ISBN-13: 978-0121349707
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,310,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Compendium of Knowledge about Sol Gel Science, October 11, 2000

By 

Bradd E. Libby (Amherst, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sol-Gel Science: The Physics and Chemistry of Sol-Gel Processing (Hardcover)

Perhaps it's trite to say this, but Brinker and Scherer's _Sol Gel Science_ is *the* indispensible desktop reference for the sol-gel chemist. Though now over a decade old, the topics covered (only a smattering of which are mentioned in the editorial review above) are so fundamental that it remains one of the most often cited sol-gel references, both in texts and refereed journal articles. The layout of the book takes the reader through the entire sol-gel formation process, from reaction to casting to drying, curing and other post-modificiations, with a chapter devoted to each step - permitting this book either to be read cover-to-cover (for the interested newcomer or as a text for a course in sol-gel science) or to be referenced as necessary by the more familiar reader.

C. Jeffrey Brinker, now affiliated with Sandia National Laboratories as well as the University of New Mexico, remains the preeminent researcher and one of the most-often cited authors in his field, continuing research on self-assembled nanostructures, porosity-tailored materials, organic-inorganic hybrids, and related topics.

George W. Scherer, professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department of Princeton University, also maintains a professional involvement in sol-derived gels, glasses, and ceramics, among other areas of interest, and is the author of several patents, as well as innumerable scientific papers, in these fields.

Though more-recent texts may be more up-to-date in terms of research cited, especially areas pertinent to nanotechnology, this book's position as a compendium of knowledge in the field of sol-gel science has not diminished with age and is highly reccomended.