RECENT WORK IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE 



CHEMISTRY. 



Formation of furfurol from cellulose and its oxy and hydro 

 derivatives, L. Vig-non (Compt. Bend. Acad. Sei. Paris, 126 (1898), 

 No. 10, pp. 1355-1358). — In these investigations cotton fiber was sub- 

 jected during 1 hour at a boiling temperature to the action of (1) 

 hydrochloric acid, (2) potassium chlorate, and (3) stannous chlorid. In 

 the first and third cases hydrocelluloses were obtained ; in the second 

 case an oxycellulose was formed. These three substances, as well as 

 starch and cotton fiber bleached with chlorin and oxycellulose obtained 

 from such fiber by treatment with chromic acid, were subjected to the 

 action of hydrochloric acid (1.00 sp. gr.) at a boiling temperature 

 according to the Tolleus method for the determination of furfurol. The 

 furfurol was determined in the distillate from the solutions by means 

 of phenylhydrazin. The results are given as follows: 



Furfurol obtained from cellulose, cellulose derivatives, etc. 



H vdrocellulose (1) . . . 



( Ixycellulose (2) - 



Reduced cellulose (3) 



Furfural. 



Per cent. 



0.851 

 2.113 



.860 



Furfurol. 



I'n- cent. 

 Starch 0. 800 



Bleached cotton 1.800 



( 'nt ton fiber treated with chromic acid. 3. 5oo 



During the formation of the furfurol carbon dioxid was evolved, which 

 was collected and determined. The carbon dioxid evolved bore a fixed 

 relation to the amount of furfurol obtained. 



The author also studied the formation of furfurol from the products 

 of decomposition of oxycellulose by potash. Samples of oxycellulose 

 prepared by treating cotton fiber with chlorate of potash and hydro- 

 chloric acid (A) and with chromate of potash and sulphuric acid (B) 

 were treated with potassium hydrate (20° Baume) at ordinary tempera- 

 ture for 5 hours, using 200 cc. of the potash solution to 25 gm. of the 

 oxycellulose. In each case an insoluble residue remained. By satu- 

 rating the potash solution with hydrochloric acid, a white gelatinous 

 precipitate was obtained which was collected and dried. A certain 



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