Manchester Memoirs, Vol. xlvii. (1902), No. $. 15 



Action on Paraffin Wax. 



I now proceed to describe some experiments made to 

 determine whether or not the alkaline solutions have any 

 action upon parafifin, which, as already stated, has been 

 suggested by Messrs. Letts and Blake as a suitable 

 substance with which to coat the inner surface of the test 

 bottles, and so protect the baryta solution from contact 

 with glass. Two similar bottles were used for this pur- 

 pose, one of which was coated internally with paraffin,* 

 the other was unprotected. Each was rinsed with the 

 same baryta solution, and then half filled with it, and 

 the contents of each bottle at once titrated. 10 c.c. of 

 each required 9"i c.c. of the standard acid. After standing 

 24 hours the solutions were again tested, and 10 c.c. of 

 each required 8"95 c.c. of standard acid. After 18 days 

 the solutions were slightly weaker, but still of the same 

 strength. In eleven weeks there was a marked difference, 

 10 c.c. of the baryta in the unprotected bottle required 

 85 c.c. of acid, while the baryta in the paraffined bottle 

 required only 695 c.c. In four months, when the liquids 

 in each bottle were exhausted, the unprotected bottle 

 required 8*25 c.c, and in the paraffined bottle only 50 c.c. 

 of the acid solution. 



In the appendix to Messrs. Letts and Blake's paper, 

 it is stated that after 40 days' contact with baryta water 

 in a paraffined bottle, the baryta solution suffered an 

 almost inappreciable loss in strength. It amounted to 

 0'37 per cent. In my experiments I find that in a similar 

 test the loss amounted in 18 days to 4'39 per cent. In 

 Table E the complete results are given. 



*Known commercially a.s "paraffin wax." The specimen used melted 

 at 527" C. 



