Foreword: It is surprising that we had to wait so long for a new book that gives a comprehensive treatment of chlor-alkali manufacturing technology. Technologists are largely still making do with the classical book edited by sconce but that is more than thirty years old. At the time of its publication metal anodes were just beginning to appear and ion-exchange membrane technology was confined to laboratories. The various encyclopedias of industrial technology have more up-to-date information but they are necessarily limited in their scope. Schmittinger recently provided an excellent shorter treatment of the broad field of chlorine technology and applications. After discussing electrolysis and the principal types of cell this too gives rather brief coverage to brine and product processing. It then follows on with descriptions of the major derivatives and direct uses of chlorine and a discussion of environmental issues. The last feature named above has relieved the authors of this work of the obligation to cover applications in any detail. Instead they provide a concentrated treatment of all aspects of technology and handling directly related to the products of electrolysis. It covers the field from a history of the industry through the fundamentals of thermodynamics and electrochemistry to the treatment and disposal of the waste products of manufacture. Membrane cells are considered the state of the art but the book does not ignore mercury and diaphragm cells. They are co...