Physical properties

From WolfWikis

Physical properties can be found in numerous sources. Depending on the substance of interest, you may find all property information you need the first place you look, or you may need to dig through several scattered books and databases to compile relevant information.

How property information is compiled

1. Via published research or experimentation, data is obtained about a chemical. Perhaps this was the entire purpose of the study, in which case the results may be presented in highly readable form (i.e., a table or graph). Perhaps the data was obtained incidentally while pursuing another purpose, in which case the data may be buried in the text.
2. Various handbooks and databases compile research data for quick reference.

The result is that the handbook you get the data from is not in fact the origin of the information (usually). Look for citations in the data to original research papers. Nevertheless, the data in established reference books can be trusted and even cited. This is the case, for example, for the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, or other established reference books. It is not the case for wikipedia.

Suggested procedure for finding property information

Try the following, listed roughly in order of increasing search difficulty:

1. Try the first stops below. They're Librarian Recommended because of their balance of ease and coverage.
2. Try the second stops below. These are also pretty easy to use, but don't bother trying them all unless you're desperate. Try a sample and move to the next step.
3. The in-depth resources (as listed below) if you're comfortable with them. These are pretty definitive but a bit difficult to use. If you haven't found what you need yet, it's time to give these a try.
4. Check Thermodex or the Materials Properties Locator to get some ideas for specific reference books to check. Check the catalog to find titles recommended by Thermodex, we may have them available online.
5. This step doesn't involve searching, it involves re-adjusting your expectations. If you haven't found anything useful yet, it's safe to say that we're after an obscure piece of data. This is a good time to ask: is there a logical reason this piece of data may not exist? (For example, are you looking for the boiling point of a chemical that is highly explosive? Are the crystals too small to enable measurement of a refractive index? Is it a new chemical being developed by a company that might have a proprietary reason not to publish much information on it?) Not time to give up, but it's possible we're not going to find this.
6. Time to dive into the printed resources. There's a wealth of information that's still print-only, but digging through these will take a little more time and effort. It's also hard to know where to look. Try some of the print titles listed below, or use what you found in indexes like Thermodex or the Composite Index for CRC Handbooks for leads. Check the library catalog for more specialized books that may be helpful.
7. Last chance. Search the chemical literature to find primary research on the property or topic.

First stops

Recommended places to look first. These databases are relatively easy to use and have good coverage. All are online. Print edition call numbers included if applicable.

• Aldrich
  • Online at: http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/
  • Print: Reference TP202 .A42 (copies held in several Fox building labs)

• ChemNetBase
  • Available online through NCSU Libraries
  • Use the Combined Chemical Dictionary for most searches. The Properties of Organic Compounds may be more detailed for some compounds. The Polymers sections may also be useful for appropriate compounds.

• CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics
  • Also available online through NCSU Libraries, via ChemNetBase.
  • Print: Reference QD65 .C4 (Most recent edition in Reference area; other editions on 6th floor)

• PubChem
  • Online at: http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

• Knovel Scientific and Engineering Databases
  • Available through NCSU Libraries

Second stops

Other places to look for physical property information. Don't try them all: there's a lot of overlap.

• NIST Webbook
  • Online at: http://webbook.nist.gov/chemistry

• DIPPR
  • Available through NCSU Libraries

• ChemIDplus
  • Online at http://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/

• Dictionary of Organic Compounds
  • Print Reference QD246 .D5 (9 volumes)
  • Available online through ChemNetBase

• ChemFinder
  • Online at: http://chemfinder.camsoft.com/

• ChemExper
  • Online at: http://www.chemexper.com/

• Merck Index - for pharmaceuticals.
  • Print only: Reference RS51 .M4

• Handbook of Data on Organic Compounds (CRC)
  • Reference QD257.7 H36 (6 volumes)

In-depth resources

The definitive places to look for property information are:

• Beilstein
  • Available through NCSU Libraries

• SciFinder Scholar
  • Available through NCSU Libraries

These have advanced interfaces and require some effort to learn how to use them, but should be the most exhaustive resources for property information.

Other resources for physical properties

All physical property resources

Or: Ask the chemistry librarians.