This 1989 book describes the physico-chemical principles of the high vacuum techniques used by chemists. It is a guide to the choice of suitable equipment, the methods of constructing the systems, and the ways of using them. Professor Plesch's book is the only up-to-date work on the type of high vacuum systems (HVS) used by chemists and it is the first ever to describe in detail the actual construction, manifold uses, method of operation, and final dismantling of an HVS. It includes descriptions of a very wide range of devices for making measurements (conductivity, spectra, kinetics, etc.) in vacuum. The author draws on over 40 years of his own experiences and those of others in many parts of the world, and many of the tricks and gadgets have not been published before. The book will be an essential companion on the bench of every chemist involved in the synthesis of, or measurements on, air-sensitive compounds.