Colloidal Dispersions [Paperback]

Colloidal Dispersions is an excellent text, both for graduate students and for physicists/physical chemists foraying into the field of colloidal dispersions. The book starts by talking about particle hydrodynamics, then introduces Brownian motion and follows it up with description of different interaction forces experienced by colloidal particles. Thereafter, it discusses the thermodynamics of polymer in solution, how it affects the forces between the particles. In following chapters, it details the electrokinetic phenomena, and the physics of polymer mediated and charged mediated stabilization. The last few chapters return to dynamics again, with a chapter each devoted to sedimentation and rheology!

The book is beautifully written, and most of the material is useful as it is. Since this book was written in 1989, it requires a revision to bring it to the level of current understanding. The whole realm of nanoparticles is based on principles described here, as is the field of colloidal self-assembly. With a revision and few additions here and there, and maybe addition of some references to the work done between 1989-2005, the book can be made into workhouse of all colloidal scientists. I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in understanding the physical behavior of colloids. Coming with a background in Statistical Mechanics would be certainly helpful, and for people with training in Polymer Physics, the book can be understood by drawing analogies with the concepts used there. This is one of the best book in terms of the balance between the use of equations and words used to present physical picture and definitely one everyone in the field must read:) But as I said before, I will be greatly indebted to authors if they bring out a revised edition: I hope they do so soon!!

This book, despite not being updated for about a decade, is still at the top of its class... This book should be on the desk of every scientist who is interested in interparticle forces. This book covers the theory and the development of colloid science from its early days to modern times. It is likely to be useful for theorists who will lean on the math and good references in the book and useful to experimentalists who seek to understand interparticle forces. Most experimentalists will probably also want to buy Jacob Israelachvili's book, which I haven't read much of, but I know Israelachvili is the man behind the surface forces apparatus (SFA), so many who seek to measure the interparticle forces described in WBR's book will want Jacob's book as well.

I am a graduate student at Princeton, home to the authors, and, not surprisingly, this book is a strong reflection of two courses in the chemical engineering department called Colloidal Dispersions I and II. I'm taking the series now, and, if you are in the class, you already know you need the book, and you shouldn't be reading this review.

I'd give the book 5 stars instead of 4, but I feel that it needs to be updated to reflect the increasing use of computer simulations (Note that I am biased, as a computer person) and new developments in colloid science. And lastly, though I feel the book is highly readable, the math is intense, and I suspect there are many scientists and engineers (myself included) who will have wished WBR had skipped fewer steps. Largely though, you can't blame the authors for that. The book would be a million pages long if they didn't skip steps. Try to use the extensive references to fill in the steps in the math if possible.

On a value basis, a 4 star book that costs only 2/3 what you usually pay means you are getting a steal here.

This book is famous among people studying colloids. Although it's kind of old, it still quite useful. The bright new book I bought is in very good condition, and also it's light to take.