112 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Corresponding measurements of the acidity of the solutions, about 

 the anode and cathode, after electrolysis, were carried out with 

 acetone-water solutions of ferrous sulphate. The data for one such 

 set of experiments will show the nature of the results. 



Solution consisted of 70% water, 30% acetone and 0-200 grams 

 FeS04 7H2O. 



10 cc. of solution not electrolysed required 0-00 cc. NaOH sol- 

 ution. 



10 cc. of cathode solution after electrolysis (20 hours) required 

 0-64 cc. NaOH solution. 



10 cc. of anode solution after electrolysis (20 hours) required 

 1 • 20 cc. NaOH solution. 



The results of the experiments described above may be summarized 

 as follows: — 



1. Iron can be completely deposited electrolytically from a 

 solution of its chloride in acetone, acetone and water, or acetone and 

 ethyl alcohol. 



2. From the acetone and the acetone-water solution the iron 

 can be deposited entirely free from carbon. 



3. At low voltages the iron is deposited from the above solutions 

 in the metallic form; as the voltage is increased it comes down as a 

 red deposit, which adheres to the electrode and allows the iron to be 

 removed from the solution. 



4. From the acetone-alcohol solutions the iron, although com- 

 pletely deposited, is contaminated with carbon. 



5. From acetone-water solutions of ferrous sulphate the iron 

 can be completely deposited but the deposit contains considerable 

 carbon. 



6. It seems that these facts could be used as a basis for the 

 separation of iron from other metals such as aluminium and chromium. 



7. Aldehyde is not formed during the* electrolysis of the acetone 

 solutions. 



University of British Columbia, 

 Syracuse University. 



