The Book Project
Last update posted 6/24/06
What the book project is (currently) is an attempt to put tons of useful knowledge, lab technique, interesting reactions, and true to life experiences in one place. Nomenclature of common lab equipment, OTC items, improvising condensers, scrubbing exit gasses, running under inert atmospheres, with plenty of pictures and fun facts, you name it, I want to cover it. It is aimed at people with a little chemical experience but those simpler areas that intro into the rest of the project are not yet done, as a matter of fact I would call no section done. I am trying not to have any noticeable focus on explosives but other then that go where you may. It is all up for grabs and modifications still. However it is not up for proof reading yet, I'm just trying to get everything there.
Recently, the book was split into sections so that each section can be individually downloaded and updated by myself. This was one of the impedements to me updating as often as I would like as my computer is from 1998 and doesn't much like working with massive word documents or PDF files so to work on the large file was a hassel. Once completed it will be recompiled into one work so that it cannot be disseminated and found by individuals to be missing pieces. Note that because it is no longer in one piece I will not be keeping track of the length but at last account it was considerably over 200 pages in PDF format.
When it's done it will be free to distribute to the furthest corners of the web, and since it is being written by members and is therefore not from a book it has no copyright concerns what so ever. Anyone who helps will get their name in the credits however they please to see it and you can of course download a copy of the book when it's done (or anywhere in between).
Everyone is free to help, you can write for a section that is already there, and I will either incorporate your writing into what's there, or incorporate what's there into yours. The only rule to writing something is that it has to be highly readable, and accurate to the best of your knowledge. Some people wonder how they can help, well, if you're not experienced in any techniques, you have absolutely no experience doing chemistry, you've never had anything chemistry related happened, and you are bad at writing.... you can egg me on and keep my spirits up! ;)
Send any additions to Rob.Vincent@gmail.com
Notice!
I’ve found that this book project has been showing
up on more and more search engines lately and is also being directly linked to
for the information it contains. I
therefore find it necessary to warn all persons viewing this document that it is
a work in progress, and as such it contains errors of all kinds, be them in
experimental procedures that may cause harm, or in faulty reasoning that would
get you slapped by nearly any chemistry instructor.
Please for now take the information here with a grain of salt.
Most Importantly! By reading further you
agree not to hold the authors of this document responsible for any
injuries/fatalities that may occur from attempting to make any of the
products or following any of the procedures that are outlined within.
Chemistry inherently possesses a degree of danger and you must
understand this, wear gloves and more if the situation calls for it,
your safety is in your own hands, not mine! |
Red = Not yet Started Orange = Major Work Needed Green = Needs more information Blue = Getting Close
1.0 Introduction and Statement of Purpose
PDF
HTML
1.1 Disclaimer
1.2 Safety
Precautions and Gear
1.2a Definitions of common medical lingo
1.3 How to
Read/Write a Chemical Reaction
1.4 Units used
Throughout
1.5 Discussion
of Legality / Words of Encouragement
2.0 Reaction Vessels PDF
HTML
2.1 Glassware
2.1a Borosilicate Glassware
2.1b Soda-Lime Glass
2.1c Vycor, Lead Glass, Misc.
2.1d Cleaning Glassware
2.2 Plastics
2.3 Ceramics
2.4 Teflon
2.5 Refractory
Compositions
2.6 Metals
3.0 Basic Lab Techniques
PDF
HTML
3.1 Refluxing
3.2
Distillation
3.3 Filtering
3.3a Selection of Filter Paper
3.3b Gravity Filtration
3.3c Vacuum Filtration
3.4
Electrolysis
3.4a Molten Salt Electrolysis
3.4b Aqueous Electrolysis
3.4c Non-Aqueous Electrolysis
3.5 Titrations (Updated 7/9/06)
3.6 Temperature
Control and Measuring
3.7 Removing water from Gasses
and Liquids
3.8
Recrystalization
3.9 Measuring
weight and volume
4.0 Lab Reagent Types
PDF
HTML
4.1 Acid-Base
theory
4.2 Acids
4.3 Bases
4.4 Oxidizing
Agents
4.4a Molten Salt Oxidations / Solid State Oxidations
4.5 Reducing Agents
4.5 Dehydrating
Agents / Desiccants
4.6 Poisonous
Reagents
4.7 Solvents
4.8 Metals
4.9 Halogens
4.10 Alkali
Metals
4.11 Organic Functional Groups
4.12 Gasses
5.0
Simple Reactions PDF
HTML
5.1 Le Chatelier's Principle
5.2 Reactions with expanded information
5.3 Simple preparations with simplified directions
5.4 - Etc. More Preparations including useful preps that could be expanded
6.0 Practical Concerns for running an Amateur Lab
PDF
HTML
6.1
Starting up and Stocking your Lab Space (The essentials)
6.2 Legality
6.3 Storage of
Reagents / Separation of Chemicals
6.4 Disposal of
Waste Materials Generated
6.5 Considering
your Neighbors / Neighborhood in every Reaction
6.6 Privacy
& Security
7.0 Choosing your own Experiments
PDF
HTML
7.1 Researching
7.1a Internet
7.1b Library
7.1b1 Following up on Footnotes
7.1c Chemical Abstracts
7.2 Scaling up
and Scaling Down
7.3 Being Thorough
7.4 The
Importance of Keeping a Log
7.5 Trouble
Shooting
7.6 Stories of
Try, Try, and Try Again
7.7 Lengthy
Story about compiling a synthesis along with all details
8.0 Advanced Techniques PDF
HTML
8.1 Working at High
Temperatures
8.1a Advanced heating Techniques
8.1b Fuels
8.1c Refectories
8.1d Furnaces
8.1d(a) Gas Fired
8.1d(b) Electric
8.1d(c) Charcoal
8.2 Fractional
Distillation
8.3 Catalyst Tubes
8.4 Inert
Atmospheres
8.5 Solvent/Solvent
extraction Systems
8.6 Vacuum Pumps and
Working Under Vacuum
9.0 When Things go Wrong PDF
HTML
9.1 Contingency
Plans
9.2 Don't Mix.... or
....
9.2a Sensitive/Explosive Mixtures Involving Oxidizing Agents
9.2b Unstable Peroxides
9.3 Flammibility
Concerns
9.4 When to 'Abandon
Ship!'
10.0 Finding Things at Home
10.1 Pure Compounds
10.2 Making Vs.
Buying
10.3 Extracting
Compounds
10.3a Basic Principles, Comparing Properties
10.4 Mail Ordering
10.5 Notes About
Purity
11.0 Advanced Experiments (Include Organic)
PDF
HTML
12.0 Index
12.1 The Elements
12.2 Compounds
12.3 Technical Terms
13.0 Appendix (Specific Tables / Additional Experiments)
13.1 Salts (nearly)insoluble
in cold water
14.0 Credits / Free Distribution Rights (Updated 7/9/06)
Picture Needs (all pictures need to be free from copywrite concerns, either take them yourself or find something that specifically says that it can be copied and distributed):
Periodic table with element names written on it as well as symbols, current one just has symbols, must be legible at comparable size.
Better pictures of common glassware, my pictures all have a pink background that is hard on the eyes.
Vigurex Column
Correct positioning of a thermometer in a still head
Diagram of how to fold filter paper, maybe also a picture of flutted filter paper