Page 26 - Vogel's TEXTBOOK OF QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS

PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDlTlON

chapters now incorporate a number of separations of organic materials, most
of which can be fairly readily carried out even in modestly equipped laboratories.
The traditional areas of 'wet' chemistry came under very close scrutiny and
it was felt that whilst the overall size of Part D could be justifiably reduced,
the chapter on titrimetry required modification to include a section on titrations
in non-aqueous solvents as these are of particular application to organic
materials. It was also felt that environmentally important titrations such as
those for dissolved oxygen and chemical oxygen demand should be introduced
for the first time. By way of contrast to this we considered that gravimetry has
greatly diminished in application and justified a substantial reduction in volume.
This in no way undermines its importance in terms of teaching laboratory skills,
but the original multitude of precipitations has been substantially pruned and
experimental details abbreviated.
Electroanalytical methods is another area which has changed substantially
in recent years and this has been reflected in the treatment given to Part E.
Apart from a revision of the theory and the circuit diagrams, modifications have
been made to the experiments and the chapters have been reorganised in a more
logical sequence. Because of the obvious overlap in theory and application,
amperometry has now been incorporated into the chapter on voltammetry.
Even more substantial changes have been made to the spectroanalytical methods
in Part F, in which al1 chapters have received a major revision, especially to
include more organic applications where possible. Details of Fourier transform
techniques and derivative spectroscopy are included for the first time, along
with a general up-date on instrument design. The growing importance of
quantitative infrared spectrophotometry has well justified the re-introduction
of a chapter dealing more extensively with this topic. Similarly the extensive
and rapid growth of procedures and applications in atomic absorption
spectroscopy has necessitated another major revision in this area.
A full revision has been made to the appendices and some of those used in
the Fourth Edition have now been incorporated into the main text where
appropriate. At the same time other tables have been extended to include more
organic compounds and additional appendices include correlation tables
for infrared, absorption characteristics for ultraviolet/visible, and additional
statistical tables, along with the essential up-dated atomic weights.
In carrying out this revision we owe a great debt to the many companies
and individuals who have so willingly helped us not only in giving permission
to reproduce their tables and diagrams but who have often gone to considerable
trouble to provide us with current information and special photographs and
illustrations. We have also paid special attention to the many ideas, suggestions
and corrections made by readers who took the trouble to write to us when the
Fourth Edition was published. Most of these were constructive and useful,
especially the one from Papua-New Guinea pointing out to us the difficulty of
producing a 'flesh-coloured precipitate'! We have done Our best to avoid such
misleading errors on this occasion. Nevertheless we will be pleased to learn of
any errors which may have inadvertently crept into the text and/or suggestions
for further improvement. We greatly hope that this edition will continue to
maintain the very high standards for quantitative analysis which Dr Arthur 1.
Vogel helped to establish with the First Edition some 50 years ago.
Finally, we wish to express Our especial thanks to Our friends and colleagues
who have so willingly helped us with data, sources of material and discussion

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