Results of X-Ray Examination in Technology. Ed. by J. Eggert and E. Schiebold. Vol. 4. Leipzig, Akadem. Verlagsges. Vol. 4.—Applications of X-ray and electron beams. With special reference to problems of organic chemistry (X-Ray Conference in Bonn, 1934). Ed., by commission of the German Society for Technical X-Ray Science at the German Association for Materials Testing of Engineers, by Prof. J. Eggert and Prof. E. Schiebold. 1934, VI, 1, 190 pp., 101 figs. Mk. 18.

Results of X-Ray Examination in Technology.

Ed. by J. Eggert and E. Schiebold. Vol. IV. Application of X-ray and electron waves in the investigation of matter, chiefly in the field of organic chemistry.

The book under review is the 4th volume of the publication “Results of X-Ray Examination in Technology,” issued under the editorship of Eggert and Schiebold. The first volume, “X-Ray Technology and Materials Testing” (1930), contains very brief articles, chiefly on the methodology of X-ray investigation in various fields of technology. This volume has been translated into Russian and published by the State Scientific and Technical Publishing House. In our view it is not of great value. The second volume, “Advances in X-Ray Investigation, Methods and Applications” (1931), contains larger and more substantive articles on a number of fundamental questions of materials science and solid-state physics. The third volume, “The Interaction of X-Rays with Matter in Theory and Practice” (1932), is divided in content into rather disparate articles of general theoretical order and articles on X-ray technology. The second and third volumes are of definite interest to the Soviet reader, especially the second, but both are already somewhat out of date and it is inexpedient to translate them.

The present, fourth volume consists mainly of reports delivered at the X-ray conference in Bonn in 1934. As is evident from the title, they are devoted chiefly to problems of organic chemistry: organic structures, rubber, cellulose. Thus Robinson’s article (2) deals with the investigation of organic crystals in the Davy–Faraday laboratory, whose director is the famous William Bragg. The application of Bragg’s ionization method for constructing projections of the atoms of the crystal lattice—a method having no equal in all structural analysis in elegance and reliability of results—has made it possible to decipher a number of the most complex organic structures, thereby laying the foundation for testing the whole stereochemistry of organic compounds.

In the article by Hess and Trogus, the methods of X-ray investigation of cellulose and its derivatives are described in detail. An X-ray pattern makes it possible to follow various reactions of cellulose and to establish a number of regularities concerning the behavior of cellulose micelles under the action of various reagents.

Especially substantial results, obtained through the use of X-ray methods for rubber studies, are considered in this article. Finally, the present state of the question of the crystalline structure of cellulose and its derivatives on the basis of X-ray data is discussed. A series of articles: by Mark and Trilla (4), Mark (5), Trendelenburg (6), Kirchner (13), concerns the question of the methodology of applying elec-

electron waves for the study of organic substances (cellulose, graphites, etc.). On the whole, they provide a broad picture, demonstrating the very great significance of this method of structural investigation, which has its own specific features, distinct from those of the X-ray method, and therefore its own specific tasks. An extremely important and thorough study of the distinctive features of the electron-diffraction method is needed. It will make it possible to find new objects of investigation for it and to make it a new, powerful means of physicochemical analysis.

Several articles are devoted to interesting technical innovations both in the field of X-ray apparatus (Berthold’s article, 10) and with respect to X-ray tubes and methods of structural analysis (2, 10, 11). Among the remaining ones we note Stinzting’s article (9) on the polymorphism of elements and the article by Brogli, Glocker, and Kissig (7) on the fine structure of the spectra of chemical compounds.

The first gives a rich survey of the properties and structure of polymorphic elements, establishes a relationship between them, and is curious in that it should pave the way toward the creation of a complete theory of polymorphic transformations. The article by Brogli and Glocker is far too brief to touch at all seriously on this large question, which is of major importance for the question of the physical nature of the molecular crystalline bond and has great prospects for the application of these questions to practical problems of materials science.

Turning now to the question of the general evaluation of the book and the desirability of translating it into Russian, one may point out that the book is of undoubted interest for a broad circle of persons practically engaged in, or studying, structural analysis of materials. It may be of no less interest for technologists dealing with materials that are discussed in the above-listed articles. However, translating the book without revision and additions into Russian would hardly be advisable. It must be borne in mind that such collections, which present reports on the papers of a congress, always have a character tied to the current moment and, to the highest degree, are liable to become obsolete. Taking into account our very lengthy publishing processes, one must fear that such collections, by the time they appear, may already be considered obsolete. It is enough to recall the unfortunate experience of translating volume I. I would consider it advisable to select from the collection a number of articles, perhaps to supplement them with others on analogous questions, and to publish them in this form for our reader. Such a book, summarizing the achievements of X-ray analysis in the field of the study of organic substances, would be received very warmly by both chemists and X-ray specialists.

S. T. Konobeevsky