Tony Hargreaves – författare

Chemical formulation can be traced back to Stone Age times, when hunter-gatherers attached flint arrowheads to shafts using a resin made from birch bark and beeswax. Today, formulated preparations are part of everyday life. Formulations based on surfactants are by far the most prolific, from shampoos and shower gels to emulsion paint and polishes. This book discusses the chemical technology of surfactants and related chemicals, using over forty examples of everyday products. Some basic theory on surface chemistry, molecular interactions and surfactant function is included to aid understanding. Chemical Formulation: An Overview of Surfactant-based Preparations Used in Everyday Life then goes on to look at wider aspects such as surfactant manufacture, raw materials, environment, sustainability, analysis and testing. Throughout, common chemical names are used for formulation chemicals, further aiding the readability of the book. Bridging the gap between theory and application, this book will be invaluable to anyone wishing to broaden their knowledge of applied chemistry, including students on A level, BTEC and technician courses. It will also be of benefit to those new to the formulation industry.

It is London in the 1890s. A young woman has just taken a dose of a tonic she’s been given in the belief that it will improve her complexion. About ten minutes pass and she starts to experience breathing difficulties. Another minute and she collapses. Mercifully, death arrives but the poison has not yet finished, for the process of rigor mortis has set in with unusual speed. Her body is frozen into a rigid and contorted mass. This is the horror of strychnine, the nastiest of poisons. Despite knowing all the dreadfulness of this poison, Dr Thomas Neill Cream, the Lambeth Poisoner, used it to kill several prostitutes. And who knows how many other victims experienced the horror of strychnine, for it was by no means an uncommon poison.

Today, there may well be more poisons available to the individual than ever before, but there are also advances in medical examination and forensic analysis that increase the likelihood of the poisoner being caught. This book will examine poisons, both natural and man-made menaces, and cases based on a particular poison as well as information about how forensic analysis is conducted. Appealing to scientists and non-scientists alike, this enthralling book will entertain and educate and bring the reader up to date with how important chemical analysis is in crime detection.