276 



Transactioni 



The following table is a comparison of the physical constants of the 

 five final fractions obtained by repeated distillation : — 



No. 



Boiling-point. 



Melting- 

 point. Ester. 



Melting- 

 point, 

 Acid. 



Per Cent. 

 Weight of 

 Fraction. 



Mole- 

 cular 

 Weight. 



Apparent 

 Formula. 



A6 

 A9 

 Bll 



C8 

 C9 



-292715 mm. 

 -302715 mm. 

 -312715 mm. 

 -323715 mm. 

 Residues 



60-5-61 -5° 



61-62° 

 66-5-67-5° 



78-7-79 

 81-82° 

 83° 



7° 



Fractions C8 and C9 were obviously impure, being mixtures of montanic 

 acid and melissic acid, together with some ketone. The free acid derived 

 from these two fractions did not crystallize in plates, and gave titration 

 values much above that required for montanic acid. From the residue?, 

 after saponification, a single fractional precipitation gave a regenerated 

 acid, melting at 88-5°, which corresponds with the melting-point of melissic 

 acid. 



The acid obtained from the saponification of Bll is to be regarded as 

 pure montanic acid,* for further fractional distillation of the ester did not 

 alter the melting-point of the ester or of the acid obtained from the ester, 

 nor did it affect the titration value of the acid thus obtained within the 

 limits of experimental error. Thus, acid from Bll : 1-0785 grams reqd. 



N 



. ^ KOH = M.W. 



421. 



Acid from Bll twice redistilled: 1-845 grams reqd. 



43-70 c.c. ^ KOH = M.W. = 427. 



The titration values approach very closely to that required for a 

 formula C 2S H 56 2 , thus placing montanic acid among the even members 

 of the higher fatty acid series. The montanic acid purified by this process 

 crystallized in plates, and was readily soluble in hot ethyl acetate or motor 

 spirit, and fairly soluble in hot alcohol and acetic acid. 



In concluding this section on the acid constituents the writer wishes 

 to summaiize the following resuts : — 



(a.) Crude montanic acid is a mixluie of cerotic. montanic. and melissic 

 acids. 



(b.) Pure montanic acid crystallizes =n plates, melts at 83". and has 

 a molecular weight corresponding to the formula C 28 H 56 2 . (Previous 

 experimenters have described it as crystallizing in needles, which is correct 

 so long as the substance is impure.) 



(c.) Cerotic acid has also been obtained for the first time in nacreous 

 crys-talline plates. 



B. THE NON-ACID CONSTITUENTS OF MONTAN WAX. 



The alcoholic solution o the crude montan wax from which the acids 

 had been precipitated by ca'cium ch'oiide contained an a'most neutral 

 .-ubstance. which was lecovered by evaporation of the alcoholic mother 



* The acid crystallized in pearly scales, which also is an indication of purity. 



