86 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



CALCIUM CARBIDE AS A DEHYDRATINCx AGENT 

 FOR ALCOHOLS. 



BY ALFRED N. COOK AND ARTHUR L. HAINES, 



It is well known that almost all alcohols purchased in the 

 market contain considerable water. It varies from five per 

 cent, to fifteen per cent, in methyl and ethyl alcohols and 

 is less in amyl and other alcohols. It was thouo:ht that it 

 would be interesting and profitable to determine the degree 

 of dehydration produced by the action of calcium carbide 

 on the water in these alcohols. In the reaction acetylene 

 is evolved and calcium oxide is formed according to 

 the following equation. 



CaC,-t-2H,0 -= CaO+2aH,. 



Several methods have been suggested, and employed to 

 a limited extent, for the quantitative estimation of alcohols, 

 but only one or two of them have come into general use. 

 The method used for determinining the degree of dehy- 

 dration in this work was to ascertain the specific gravity 

 of the alcohol at 15.5"^ C, and then compare the result with 

 a specific gravity table. All of the usual precautions as to 

 temperature, etc., that are common to this method, were 

 employed. 



Methyl Alcohol. About the only dehydrating agents 

 heretofore used for methyl alcohol are anhydrous copper 

 sulphate, anhydrous potassium carbonate, and calcium 

 oxide. Methyl alcohol combines with calcium chloride and 

 barium oxide to form alcohol of crystallization, similarly 

 to water, which fact prevents their being used as in case of 



