Veterinary

immunology
and
Veterinary Immunology and lmmunopathology immunopathology
ELSEVIER 55 (I 997) 359-360

Book review
Thermochemical Data of Pure Substances, Vol. 1 and 2. 3rd edn. by Ihsan Barin,
VCH-Verlag, Weinheim. 1996. 1870 pp.. 15 Figs, 2430 Tables. Hardcover. price DM
X50. ISBN 3-527-28745-O.

The third edition of Thernzochemicd Data of Pure Substances is a valuable and

comprehensive compilation of the thermodynamic properties of pure substances. More
than 3000 data sets are collected in the tables. Included are thermodynamic properties of
the elements and also compounds of up to four elements. The compilation mainly
focusses on the properties of inorganic substances, but also properties for more than 230
organic substances are included. The tables contain information on the heat capacity at
constant pressure. the entropy, enthalpy and Gibbs energy starting at 298.15 K and
continuing at intervals of 100 K.
The compilation is divided into seven parts: Chapters l-3 give an introduction to
basic thermodynamic principles. Part 4 contains worked examples on how to use the
tables whereas the remaining chapters contain some additional information and the
tables itself.
In Part I. Ihsan Barin gives an introduction to thermodynamics starting with the basic
definitions and concepts of thermodynamics. An introduction to the first and second law
of thermodynamics, the properties of pure substances and also a survey of the thermody-
namic description of mixtures, treatment of chemical reactions and electrochemical
equilibria is given. Part 1 of the book mainly serves to give an overview over
thermodynamics, however some of the explanations and formulae presented there seem
to be misprinted. For example in Chapter 1.2.5. one should clearly distinguish between
extensive and intensive properties. The definition for the heat capacities C,, and CL,.
given there (pp. l-5) lets one conclude that these are extensive properties (i.e. unit
J/K). However, later on (and also in the tables). C,, and C,. have the usual meaning. i.e.
they are intensive properties (units J/(mol Kl or J/(kg . K)). Also. in Chapter 1.4 the
mathematical formulation of the second law of thermodynamics is misprinted. I also
note that the definition of the activity CI, (section 1.X.31 is better written down as
N, =f;(T. p, s)/‘f,(T. p+. ~‘1 where .f, is the fugacity (and not the partial pressure) of
component i and y+. x+ are arbitrary, but defined values for the pressure and the
composition in the reference state. Some ambiguities also appear in Chapter 1.lO
concerning the proper definition of standard states. activities and fugacities.
To summarize, the data collection given in Chapter 7 can be recommended as a
comprehensive and valuable source for calculating the thermodynamic properties of pure

0 165.?427/97/$I7.00 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

PII SOl6T-2327(96)05632-2
substances in the range covered in the tables. It is further noteworthy that a software
package is also available from the author. Part 1 of the book. however. seems to need
some revision.

Dr.-Ing. B. Rumpf
Lehrstuhl fir Technische Themodynamik
Fachbereich Maschinenbau und Verfahrenstechnik
Universitiit Kaiserslautern
D-67662 Kaiserslautern
Germany