8 The Philippine Journal of Science 1922 
writer has found this method cumbersome on the large scale, 
and at present esterifies the oil directly, with the help of sul- 
phuric acid. 
Ten kilograms of crude chaulmoogra oil, 13 liters of 95 to 96 
per cent alcohol, and 750 cubic centimeters of 66° Bé. com- 
mercial sulphuric acid are placed in a 26-liter stoneware acid 
carboy which has been fitted with a sheet iron steam jacket 
and a large glass reflux condenser. A slow current of low- 
pressure steam is allowed to enter at the top of the jacket, provi- 
sion being made at the bottom for escape of the condensed 
steam. The contents of the carboy are thus boiled gently for 
twenty hours. 
The reaction that slowly takes place is the well-known one of 
interchange of alkyl groups under the influence of a mineral 
acid (hydrogen ion) catalyst. The glyceryl radical in the gly- 
cerides of the oil changes place with the ethyl group in the 
alcohol, forming the desired ethyl esters and glycerol. 
The reaction product is syphoned into a large glass carboy, 
washed with about an equal volume of water and then with 
dilute caustic soda, just sufficient soda being added to produce 
a permanently alkaline reaction to phenolphthalein. The re- 
sulting emulsion separates fairly well after a few hours, and 
the upper layer is heated in a steam kettle to dry it. 
This dry ester mixture is then distilled at about 50 millimeters 
pressure in a still made from a 30-centimeter (12-inch) length 
of 15-centimeter (6-inch) iron pipe capped and fitted with a 
reducing coupling. Gas heating has been used, but we have 
obtained a more-rapid output by the use of an electric heater 
(see Plate 1) and an electrically heated still head of 5-centi- 
meter (2-inch) pipe, 150 centimeters (5 feet) long. Rolls of 
iron-wire netting are placed in the stil] head to prevent foaming 
over, which is the troublesome feature of this distillation. The 
heater is made from 20-centimeter (8-inch) stovepipe 45 centi- 
meters (18 inches) long and 40-centimeter (16-inch) stovepipe 
52 centimeters (22 inches) long, the space between the two 
walls being filled with asbestos fiber. The heating units are of 
No. 20 chromel A wire, 500 watts each, one flat coil at the bot- 
tom, three coils around the 20-centimeter stovepipe, and one 
coil around the still head. A Crowell 2-D vacuum pump has 
sufficient capacity for two of these stills. 
The ester is allowed to enter the still by means of a tube 
running through the still head, in portions of about 200 cubic 
