Gases have played an important role in the natural sciences since ancient times. The term “gas” comes from the Greek and is derived from the word “cháos”, which describes quite well the random movement of gas molecules and their tendency to spread everywhere. Basically, a substance is called a gas when its particles can move freely in space, filling any available space. After the discovery of carbon dioxide by Johan Baptista van Helmont in the first half of the 17th century, more and more gases were identified, so that this branch of science continued to develop into a complex subject area with many different facets.

The Compur guidebooks provide an overview of numerous gases and vapors. In addition to the important chemical properties, other aspects such as potential dangers and first aid are also explained.

Whoever is dealing with hazardous substances runs the risk of being exposed to them. These people must should have a basic understanding of the substances’ properties and the potential risk of exposure. In addition, there are topics such as the historical classification of relevant gases and information on the production or detection of individual substances. The guides on hydrogen cyanide, hydrocyanic acid and phosgene are already available. Both guides provide an exciting insight into the chemical properties and interesting facts about the importance of the gases for history.

• Hydrogen cyanide/hydrocyanic