By a dilatometric method, curves depicting volume change with temperature were obtained for a number of sodium laurate-water systems containing from 50% to 75% by weight of soap. I n these curves, the appearance of the ' neat ' and middle soap phase is marked by a discontinuity. These phases exhibit a rather small but linear increase in volume with temperature. The transition temperatures as obtained from the dilatometric method were found to agree to within a few degrees with those predicted from the phase diagram of this system.For some of these ternary systems, the volume-temperature curves exhibited discontinuities a t 80-90", whic'a were attributed to the appearance of a homogeneous phase termed ' kettle-wax '. The boundary of this kettle-wax phase, which is capable of existing above 80-90" was delimited by means of these studies. The importance of this phase in determining various equilibria in soap boiling is discussed.These studies were extended to the ternary system sodium laurate-salt-water.A survey is made of the apylications of infra-red spectroscopy in the surface coatings field, especially in connexion with (1) the chemistry of drying oils, particularly with reference t o the geometrical isornerization of f a t t y acids, the autoxidation process and copolymerization of oils with unsaturated compounds; (2) the curing of epoxy resins, and (3) the identification of synthetic resins.