10 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



siderable oxygen remaining on the nickel for .0653 g. of water was 

 evolved on reduction after that period. 



A measured volume of ethylene prepared by the action of phos- 

 phoric acid on ethyl alcohol by the method of Newth and which, 

 upon analysis, showed 98.5 per cent, ethylene, was passed back and 

 forth at 150°C. for two hours, the apparatus having previously been 

 filled with nitrogen. There was no change in volume and analysis 

 showed that no ethane was formed. 



A mixture of ethylene and hydrogen of known composition was 

 then passed for one hour at 150°C., the apparatus having been filled 

 wirh nitrogen. 



Composition of the gas at outset 



Ethylene 215 c.c. 



Hydrogen 95 c.c. 



Nitrogen 254 c.c. 



Vol. of gas at end of experiment 464 c.c. 



Composition of gas at end. 



Ethylene 28.4% 



Ethane 16.8% 



Hydrogen 0.0 



Nitrogen 54 . 8 



Therefore, ethane produced equals .0168X464 c.c. = 77.9 c.c. 

 and ethylene remaining .0284X464 c.c. = 131 .8 c.c. 



Therefore, ethylene used up = 215 — 131 .8 = 83 .2 c.c. 



Now, hydrogen used in forming ethane = 77. 9 c.c. 



But 95 c.c. hydrogen disappeared in all. 



Therefore, 95 — 77.9 = 17.1 c.c. hydrogen was used up in some other 

 way, except in the hydrogénation of ethylene. 



Now the early experiments of this paper have shown that this amount 

 of hydrogen is much greater than would have been used up in the 

 same time by treatment with hydrogen alone of a nickel complex 

 which had received the same lengthy reduction. The conclusion 

 seems justified that this relatively large disappearance of hydrogen 

 in excess of that used in hydrogenating ethylene, was not due to 

 reduction of unchanged nickel oxide. 



It is equally unsatisfactory to say that adsorbed hydrogen on 

 the nickel complex has been used up in effecting reduction of ethylene, 

 and that free hydrogen has simply become adsorbed hydrogen by 

 taking the place of this hydrogen which has reacted. For it is difficult 



