Chemistry: Background Information

Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology - presents a wide scope of articles on chemical substances—including their properties, manufacturing, and uses. It also focuses on industrial processes and unit operations in chemical engineering, as well as covering fundamentals and scientific subjects related to the field. Additionally, environmental and health issues concerning chemical technology are also addressed.  

Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology  - It includes the state of the art in all areas of polymer science, covering nanotechnology, new imaging and analytical techniques, new methods of controlled polymer architecture, biomimetics, and more. Updated regularly. There are now about 300 articles.

Knovel -   A database containing the full-text content of over 700 handbooks covering all fields of engineering, as well as coverage for industrial safety, biochemistry, microbiology, pharmaceuticals and food science/nutrition, with new sources added continuously. Basic keyword searching and advanced searching for material and chemical properties, constants, and coefficients over a numeric range is possible.