Industrial products that are made from, or contain, nitrogen are described in parts of some encyclopedias and standard reference works. However it is not always simple to determine from these varied sources the present status of the technology and markets for various nitrogen products. We therefore perceived a need for a text that provides a comprehensive description of: 1) products that are made from or that contain nitrogen; 2) the processes that produce these products; and 3) the markets that consume these products. I have attempted to present the material in a standardized format that should make this book easy to use and helpful to the readers. The standard format for each product is: Introduction, Process, Production, and Uses, with some variations in different chapters. This book provides information that could be used by a wide range of readers: Fertilizer companies to evaluate different production processes and review general trends in the market. Basic chemical companies to evaluate different production processes and review general trends in the market. Specialty chemical companies to investigate new chemical production and/or sales opportunities and the processes that could make those sales a possibility. Chemical distributors to obtain a feel for the general market size for some chemicals and the basic handling and distribution procedures for various chemicals. Engineering Companies to evaluate different production processes and review general trends in the market. Engineering and Chemistry Students to learn more about practical applications of the principals that they have experienced in their classrooms and laboratories."

The investigative assault upon the enigmatic asphaltenes has recently resulted in sig nificant advances in many varied disciplines. Taken individually, each discipline exposes certain facets of asphaltenes, but each, alone, can never reveal asphaltenes from all van tages. Even seemingly narrowly focused issues such as the molecular structures of asphal tenes, or the colloidal structures of asphaltenes require a confluence of many lines of investigation to yield an understanding which differs from truth by diminishing uncer tainty. An holistic treatment of the asphaltenes is a powerful approach to evolve further their understanding. For example, examination of asphaltenes at the highest resolution yields molecular structure. A slight increase in scale probes asphaltene colloidal structure. Weaving together asphaltene studies performed at different length scales results in a fabric which envelops an encompassing vision of asphaltenes. At the same time, the interfaces of these hierarchical studies provide additional constraints on imagination, more than investi gations at individual length scales alone. These considerations shaped the timing, format, and the content of our book. The editors are very appreciative of the diligence and hard work manifest in each of the contributed chapters herein. We thank the contributing authors for making this project a success. Oliver C. Mullins Eric Y. Sheu vii CONTENTS I. Asphaltenes: Types and Sources ...................................... ."

Demonstrating methods for overcoming stability issues in paints, wax dispersions, cosmetics, food products, and other industrial applications, this reference probes theoretical and practical issues surrounding microemulsion science and technology. Featuring the work of 51 international experts and containing almost 1000 instructive tables, equations, and illustrations, this book reviews the performance of, and prospects for, experimental methods such as X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), light scattering, small angle neutron scattering, viscosimetry, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to characterize various aspects of the dispersed phase of microemulsions.

This volume discusses the physics and physical processes of foam and foaming. It delineates various measurement techniques for characterizing foams and foam properties as well as the chemistry and application of foams. The use of foams in the textile industry, personal care products, enhanced oil recovery, firefighting and mineral floatation are highlighted, and the connection between the microstructure and physical properties of foam are detailed. Coverage includes nonaqueous foams and silicone antifoams, and more.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, engineers and technologists would have recognized the importance of adhesion in two main aspects: First, in the display of friction between surfaces - at the time a topic of growing importance to engineers; the second in crafts requiring the joining of materials - principally wood-to form engineering structures. While physical scientists would have admitted the adhesive properties of glues, gels, and certain pastes, they regarded them as materials of uncertain formulation, too impure to be amenable to precise experiment. Biological scientists were aware also of adhesive phenomena, but the science was supported by documentation rather than understanding. By the end of the century, adhesion and adhesives were playing a crucial and deliberate role in the formulation of materials, in the design and manufacture of engineering structures without weakening rivets or pins, and in the use of thin sections and intricate shapes. Miniaturization down to the micro- and now to the nano-level of mechanical, electrical, electronic, and optical devices relied heavily on the understanding and the technology of adhesion. For most of the century, physical scientists were aware that the states of matter, whether gas, liquid, or solid, were determined by the competition between thermal energy and int- molecular binding forces. Then the solid state had to be differentiated into crystals, amorphous glasses, metals, etc. , so the importance of the molecular attractions in determining stiffness and strength became clearer.

Over the past forty years,good-old fashioned colloid chemistry has undergone something of a revolution,transforming itself from little more than a collection of qualitative observations of the macroscopic behavior of some complex systems into a discipline with a solid theoretical foundation and a whole to- boxofnew chemical techniques. It can now boast a set of concepts which go a long way towards providing an understanding of the many strange and interesting behavior patterns exhibited by natural and artificial systems on the mesoscale. This second volume of"Topics in Current Chemistry"on Colloid Chemistry, focuses on supramolecular approaches and new approaches towards polymer colloids,also with strong emphasis on biological and biomedical applications. Again topics were chosen which are expected to have broader relevance and to be interesting to a more general readership. The volume opens with a contribution by C.M.Paleos in which new amp- philes are presented which not only self-assemble to micelles or vesicles but also possess the ability to show specific recognition of complementary H-bridge p- terns.Such structures might point a way to a rational addressing of surfaces and supramolecular structures by purely chemical means.

The purpose of this book is to stimulate thinking among corrosion scientists and engineers to examine corrosion mechanisms and corro sion control from another perspective. While the presence of corro sion films in electrochemical corrosion has been recognized for over a century, the contribution of these films to all facets of corrosion has not been explored to a significant degree. Rather the role of films in certain mechanisms (i.e., stress corrosion cracking) has been empha sized, yet almost ignored for other corrosion mechanisms. This is viewed by the author as solely attributable to the lack of investigation into, and an understanding of, the contribution of films to these mech anisms or forms of attack. The lack of emphasis and study of corrosion films and their contribution to all forms of corrosion attack are probably the result of current university instruction that utilizes two popular corrosion texts (Uhlig and Fontana and Greene) for teaching. These texts provide an excellent understanding at the undergraduate level of corrosion funda mentals; however, the major implicit premise in these texts is that bulk properties of an alloy or metal control the corrosion resistance in a particular environment. For many applications and for a simple under standing of corrosion mechanics, this approach is sufficient. Yet, research on corrosion films indicate these films often have an entirely different composition than the bulk metal (ratio of alloying elements)."

Over the last forty years,good old-fashioned colloid chemistry has undergone something of a revolution,transforming itself from little more than a collection of qualitative observations of the macroscopic behaviour of some complex s- tems into a discipline with a solid theoretical foundation and a whole toolbox of new chemical techniques.It can now boast a set of concepts which go a long way towards providing an understanding of the many strange and interesting beh- iour patterns exhibited by natural and artificial systems on the mesoscale. In other words: colloid chemists have acquired a great deal of experience in the generation and control of matter with tools that are specific on a scale of some nanometers to micrometers.Modern concepts such as self-organisation,hier- chical set-up of materials,nanoparticles,functional surface engineering,int- facing and cross-talk of complex chemical objects,all of which are now in the toolbox of this 90-year old science. It is the aim of the present issue of"Topics in Current Chemistry"to highlight some of the most attractive recent developments in colloid chemistry which are expected to have broader relevance and to be interesting to a more general readership.The contributions focus both on tools and procedures as well as on potential applications.

A general and introductory survey of foams, emulsions and cellular materials. Foams and emulsions are illustrations of some fundamental concepts in statistical thermodynamics, rheology, elasticity and the physics and chemistry of divided media and interfaces. They also give rise to some of the most beautiful geometrical shapes and tilings, ordered or disordered. The chapters are grouped into sections having fairly loose boundaries. Each chapter is intelligible alone, but cross referencing means that the few concepts that may not be familiar to the reader can be found in other chapters in the book. Audience: Research students, researchers and teachers in physics, physical chemistry, materials science, mechanical engineering and geometry.

This book reviews technological applications of aerosol science together with the current scientific status of aerosol modeling and measurements. The aim is to identify available current information on the effects of aerosols on human health. The book also gives significant attention to specific aerosol sources such as vehicle emissions and bioaerosols. There is a chapter on radioactive aerosols, to reflect the renewed interest in nuclear power, and a review on military and homeland security in conjunction with aerosols.

Monomolecular assemblies on substrates, now termed Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films, have been studied for over half a century. Their development can be viewed in three stages. Following the pioneering work of Irving Langmuir and Katharine Blodgett in the late 1930s there was a brief flurry of activity just before and just after the Second World War. Many years later Hans Kuhn published his stimulating work on energy transfer. This German contribution to the field, made in the mid-1960s, can be regarded as laying the foundation for studies of artificial systems of cooperat ing molecules on solid substrates. However, the resurgence of activity in academic and industrial laboratories, which has resulted in four large international con ferences, would not have occurred but for British and French groups highlighting the possible applications of LB films in thefield of electronics. Many academic and industrial establishments involved in high technology are now active in or maintaining a watching brief on the field. Nevertheless this impor tant area of solid state science is still perhaps largely unfamiliar to many involved in materials or electronic device research. The richness of the variety of organic molecular materials suitable for LB film deposition offers enormous scope for those interested in their basic properties or their practical applications. LB films are now an integral part of the field of molecular electronics. It seems inevitable that they will play some role in replacing inorganic materials in certain areas of application."

Bio-nanocomposites combine the enhanced properties of commercial polymer nanocomposites with the low environmental impact of biodegradable material, making them a topic of great current interest. Because of their tremendous role in reducing dependency on commercial non-biodegradable polymers, and their environmentally-friendly nature, bio-nanocomposites need to be studied in greater detail. In this book, recent advancements in their development are brought together in a single text, to provide researchers with a thorough insight into the various systems, and to open up future perspectives. Although the commercial applications of these bio-nanocomposites are in their infancy, these materials have a huge commercial potential. In setting out the next generation of advances in nanocomposite technology, this book opens the way for further developments in the field.
Describing the subject as a whole, from a basic introduction to the more specific systems and advancements, this book can be used both as a professional reference and for teaching purposes.

The current state of the art of various aspects of micro emulsion systems is reflected in this volume. Major topics discussed include: general background on solubilized systems, phase diagrams and phase equi- libria, bicontinuous microemulsions, Winsor's phases, theories and models of complex self association structures, cry tical behaviour, phase tran- sitions in lyotropic liquid crystals. I hope that this book will serve its intended objective of reflecting our current understanding of microemulsions both in theory and practice, and that it will be useful to researchers, both novices as well as experts, as a valuable reference source. I feel indebted to the people of the Ettore Majorana Centre: the friendly atmosphere of the Erice centre provided a very effective environ- ment to enjoy the company of colleagues and friends during breaks and after sessions, and to discuss problems of mutual interest. The courtesy, efficiency and devotion of the secretarial and technical staff was also appreciated, and greatly contributed to make the Workshop a smoothly run- ning one. The Scientific Secretary Donatella Senatra Department of Physics University of Florence (Italy) v INTRODUCTION The decision to publish. in a more permanent form than heretofore. the Proceedings of the Workshop on "Progress in Microemulsion" of the Inter- national School of Quantum Electronics. which was held in Erice (Italy) from October 26 to November 1st. 1985. under the auspices of the "Ettore Majorana" Centre for Scientific Culture. will prove to be a sound one.

THE CURRENT STATE OF THE ART of waterborne polymers, paints, coatings, inks and printing processes is presented in this volume. This is the third volume in the series on waterborne coating and printing technology. It documents several invited papers and the proceedings of the International Symposium on Surface Phenomena and Latexes in Waterborne Coatings and printing Technology sponsored by the Fine Particle Society (FPS). The FPS meeting was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 13-17, 1992. The volume deals with various basic and applied aspects of research on waterborne coating printing technology. Major topics discussed involve waterborne polymers and polymer blends, pigment grinding, millbases, paint formulation, and characterization of coating films. This edition includes sixteen selected papers related to recent developments in waterborne technology. These papers are divided in three broad categories: (1) Waterborne Polymers and pigment Dispersions, (2) Latex Film, Wetting Phenomena and Printing Gloss, (3) Surfactants and Polymers in Aqueous Coating printing Systems. This volume includes discussions of various waterborne polymers in coating printing systems. The editors hope that this volume will serve its intended objective of reflecting the current understanding of formulation and process problems related to waterborne coatings, paints and inks. In addition, it will be a valuable reference source for both novices as well as experts in the field of waterborne technology. It will also help the readers to understand underlying surface phenomena and will enhance the reader's potential for solving critical formulation, evaluation and process problems.

The term active fluids refers to motions that are created by transforming energy from the surroundings into directed motion. There are many examples, both natural and synthetic, including individual swimming bacteria or motile cells, drops and bubbles that move owing to surface stresses (so-called Marangoni motions), and chemical- or optical-driven colloids. Investigations into active fluids provide new insights into non-equilibrium systems, have the potential for novel applications, and open new directions in physics, chemistry, biology and engineering. This book provides an expert introduction to active fluids systems, covering simple to complex environments. It explains the interplay of chemical processes and hydrodynamics, including the roles of mechanical and rheological properties across active fluids, with reference to experiments, theory, and simulations. These concepts are discussed for a variety of scenarios, such as the trajectories of microswimmers, cell crawling and fluid stirring, and apply to collective behaviours of dense suspensions and active gels. Emerging avenues of research are highlighted, ranging from the role of active processes for biological functions to programmable active materials, showcasing the exciting potential of this rapidly-evolving research field.

Colloid and Interface Chemistry for Water Quality Control provides basic but essential knowledge of colloid and interface science for water and wastewater treatment. Divided into two sections, chapters 1 to 8 presents colloid chemistry including simple history and basic concepts, diffusion and Brown Motion, sedimentation, osmotic pressure, optical properties, rheology properties, electric properties, emulsion, foam and gel, and so on; chapters 9 to provides interface chemistry theories including the surface of liquid, the surface of solution, and the surface of solid. This valuable book is the only one that presents colloid and interface chemistry from the water quality control perspective. This book was written for graduate students in the area of water treatment and environmental engineering, and it could be used as the reference for researchers and engineers in the same area.

The author integrates discussions of fractal geometry, surface modeling techniques, and applications to real world problems to provide a comprehensive, accessible overview of the field. His work will equip researchers with the basic tools for measurement and interpretation of data, stimulating more work on these problems and, perhaps, leading to an understanding of the reasons that Nature has adopted this geometry to shape much of our world.

This volume is based on lectures given at the NATO-Advanced Study Institute on Structure and Dynamics of Polymer and Colloid Systems held in Les Houches, France from September 14-24, 1999. The meeting arose from a perceived need to bring together scientists studying the polymer and colloid fields. Although these fields are intertwined and share many techniques (e. g. , light, neutron and x-ray scattering), it is remarkable how little the approaches and concepts used by the one field penetrate the other. For instance, the theory of spherical colloids is very highly developed and many of the concepts developed for these systems can be extended to those with non-spherical morphology, such as solutions of rigid rod polymers. In addition, mixtures of polymers and colloids, both in the bulk and at interfaces, are the basis for many industrial products. Methods are now rapidly being developed for understanding the structure and dynamics in polymer/colloid mixtures at the molecular level, but the point of view of the colloid scientist is often rather different from that of the polymer scientist. The NATO-ASI brought together polymer and colloid scientists, including many young researchers, who presented and discussed recent developments in these fields and the possibilities for cross-fertilization This volume contains articles on a wide variety of topics at the research forefront of the polymer and colloid fields by some of the world's foremost experts at a level accessible to graduate students, post-docs and researchers.

The first source on this expanding analytical science, this reference explores advances in the instrumentation, design, and application of techniques with electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL), examining the use and impact of ECL-based assays in clinical diagnostics, life science research, environmental testing, food and water evaluation, and the detection of biowarfare agents. Compiled by the pioneer of this highly innovative technology, this volume provides contributions from 16 leading authorities. They discuss the simulation of ECL behavior using commercial software, summarize key characteristics of organic ECL systems, and cover developments in metal chelate ECL.

Emphasizes the importance of surface and colloid chemistry in the manufacture of high-performance ceramics. Examines processing-property relationships, powderproductionandcharacte6zation,the dispersion properties of powders in liquids, the rheology of concentrated suspensions, and the surface and colloid chemistry aspects of the most widely used forming methods.

The co-evolution of a strong theoretical framework alongside application of a range of sophisticated experimental tools engendered rapid advancement in the study of "giant micelles." Beginning with Anacker and Debye's 1951 experimental study of elongated micelles by light scattering and their subsequent theoretical inference that the thermodynamics of these structures would have to reflect an opposing force model, theory and experiment have progressed hand in hand. This progress, along with growing interest in the practical and industrial applications of these structures in cleansers, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and energy production, demands a comprehensive, single-source reference to the current state-of-the-science. Drawing on the expertise of internationally known scientists, Giant Micelles: Properties and Applications summarizes the range of behaviors encountered in solutions of micelles and their applications in industrial processes. The book introduces theoretical aspects of the rheological behavior and formation of giant micelles from different viewpoints including molecular-level thermodynamic theory and computer simulations. It continues by focusing on the results of a variety of experimental studies using methods such as cryo-transmission electron microscopy, scattering techniques, phase diagrams, linear and non-linear rheology, and chemical relaxation. Illustrating the properties of giant micelles on solid surfaces, the book also considers systems of smart micelles that respond to external stimuli by a change of shape. The authors describe giant micelles formed from amphiphilic block copolymers as well as non-covalent polymers that exhibit similar rheological behavior to giant micelles. Finally, the chapters address current and emerging applications of giant micelles in oil and gas production, drag reduction, drug-delivery formulations, and personal care products such as shampoo. By gathering a range of information into one volume,

This volume includes 58 contributions to the 11th International Conference on Surface and Colloid Science, a highly successful conference sponsored by the International Association of Colloid and Interface Scientists and held in Iguassu Falls, Brazil, in September 2003. Topics covered are the following: Biocolloids and Biological Applications, Charged Particles and Interfaces, Colloid Stability, Colloidal Dispersions, Environmental Colloidal Science, Interfaces and Adsorption, Nanostructures and Nanotechnology, Self-Assembly and Structured Fluids, Surfactants and Polymers, Technology and Applications, Colloids and Surfaces in Oil Production. Surface and colloid science has acquired great momentum during the past twenty years and this volume is a good display of new results and new directions in this important area.

There has been much scientific interest in the behaviour of colloidal particles at liquid interfaces. From a research aspect they provide model systems for fundamental studies of condensed matter physics. From a commercial aspect they provide applications for making new materials in the cosmetics, food and paint industries. In many cases of colloidal particles at interfaces, the mechanism of particle interactions is still unknown. Particle-Stabilized Emulsions and Colloids looks at recent studies on the behaviour of particles at liquid interfaces. The book first introduces the basic concepts and principles of colloidal particles at liquid-liquid interfaces including the interactions and conformations. The book then discusses the latest advances in emulsions and bicontinuous emulsions stabilized by both solid and soft particles and finally the book covers applications in food science and oil extraction. With contributions from leading experts in these fields, this book will provide a background to academic researchers, engineers, and graduate students in chemistry, physics and materials science. The commercial aspects will also be of interest to those working in the cosmetics, food and oil industry.

This book describes the theory of how processes on the unobservable molecular scale give rise to observable effects such as diffusion and electrical noise on the macroscopic or laboratory scale. It puts the modern theory into historical context, and features new applications, statistical mechanics derivations, and the mathematical background of the topic.