Rigg. — Montan Wax. 277 



liquor. To remove the last traces of acid the substance was melted and 

 stirred into powdered quicklime, which was then slaked by means of a 

 solution of potash. The porous mass thus obtained was extracted with 

 hot motor spirit which on evaporation deposited a crystalline substance 

 which after repeated crystallization melted at 59-60° and was unchanged 

 by further crystallization. 



On analysis, this substance gave the following values : 0-1492 grams 

 gave 04713 grams C0 2 and 0-1882 grams H 2 0. 



Calc. for C n H 2ll . Calc. for C 2 7H 56 . Found. 



C = 85-71 C = 85-26 C = 86-14 



H = 14-29 H = 14-74 H = 1401 



The analyses shows that the substance is probably an olefinic hydro- 

 carbon. This was confirmed by its behaviour with bromine water, which 

 was rapidly decolourized when warmed with it. A rough determination 

 of the bromine absorbed was as follows : 0-25 grams hydrocarbon absorbed 

 073 grams biomine. 



Calc. for C 28 H 56 Br 2 . Found. 



Br = 29-0 per cent. Br = 22-6 per cent. 



Note. — Bromination was probably not complete, the reaction being only allowed to 

 proceed for about three hours. 



The molecu'ar weight of the hydrocarbon as determined by the ebullio- 

 scopic method pointed to a hydrocarbon of molecular weight 380. 



0-64 grams hydrocarbon raised the boiling-point of 8-5 c.c. of anhydrous 

 freshly distilled benzene 0-65°. 



Molecular weight = 380. Calc. for C 2S H 56 = 392. 



The melting-point (59-60°), the analysis, and the molecular-weight deter- 

 mination all point to a hydrocarbon of the formula C 2 .H 54 or C 28 H 56 , but 

 it is only by the preparation and analysis of the carefully purified dibrom 

 addition product that we shall ascertain whether the substance contains 

 26, 27, or 28 atoms of carbon. 



Part II.— The Acids of Montan Wax, and some Compounds derived 



FROM THEM. 



Since the ultimate aim of this research is to show the connection which 

 exists between cerotic, montanic, and melissic acids, it follows that the 

 physical constants of these acids, their melting-points, their molecular 

 weights, and the properties and physical constants of their compounds 

 should be accurately determined. 



The accurate correlation of such data affords no t-mall interest to the 

 chemist, as has been pointed out by Krafft,* Franchimont,f and more 

 recently by P. W. Robertson ("The Melting-points of the Anilides, P. 

 Toluidides, and Naphthalides of the Normal Fatty Acids"). J Further- 

 more, this series of fatty acids and their derivatives presents a group 

 unsurpassed in the whole of organic chemistry for illustrating the principle 

 of homology, and therefore it is desirable that the physical constants of 



* Berichte, vol. 15, 1719. 



t Rec. Pays., vol. 16. p. 126, 1897. 



X Journ. Chem. Soc. 1908. p. 1033. 



