100 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Experimcrdal 



The ozonizer consisted of tv/o concentric glass tubes, as shown in 

 Fig. 3, with the volume of the annular space 25 ces. The inner glass 

 tube, sealed at either end and exhausted to 1 mm. pressure, served as 

 one electrode, the current being led in by an aluminium wire sealed 

 in. The annular space was closed at the top by a rubber stopper, 

 painted with shellac, and at the lower end the outer tube was drawn 

 off to a 3/8 in. diam. tube, closed by a stop cock. The ozonized gas 

 passed out by a side tube. The ozonizer was surrounded by a water 

 jacket to keep down the temperature; cold, acidulated water passed 

 through it, this liquid serving also as the second electrode, connected 

 to the induction coil by a wire dipping in it. x\ 12 in. spark coil was 

 used as a transformer with 10 amps. 110 volts, 60 cycle A.C. current 

 passing through the primary. Conditions were maintained so that 

 with a flow of well dried oxygen of . 1 litre per min. 60-70 gm. ozone 

 per cubic metre of oxygen was formed, approximately equivalent to 

 3 per cent, by volume. 



The ozonized oxygen was led into a chamber, kept at any desired 

 temperature in which it was mixed with natural gas. The mixed 

 gases were passed through a condenser and wash bottles to a gaso- 

 meter. All connections were made with ground glass joints or sleeves 

 as ozone rapidly attacks rubber. 



A number of experiments were made in which the proportions of 

 gas and oxygen were varied and the temperature of the reaction 

 chamber kept at 21°C. or at lOO^C. Other experiments were carried 

 out, using activated charcoal and silver as catalysts. Sufficient gas 

 (10-20 litres) was passed to give at least 10 mgm. of formaldehyde 

 or methyl alcohol, assuming only 1 per cent, of the methane present 

 being oxidized, yet neither of these substance could be detected in 

 any of the experiments. 



This arrangement was then changed so that natural gas and 

 oxygen were mixed in the ratio of 2:1 and the mixture itself passed 

 through the ozonizer. After being subject to the action of the silent 

 discharge the gases were led through a series of wash bottles containing 

 water and thence to a gasometer. 



Several experiments were carried out in which the flow rate of 

 the mixed gases was 0.35 litre per min. The "space velocity" or 

 litres gases passed through one litre volume of ozonizer in one hour 

 was therefore 840. 



In each case a viscous liquid formed on the sides of the ozoniser 

 and several ces. were collected and examined. This liquid was 



