[mennie & Mcintosh] LIQUID CHLORINE 305 



acetone and ethyl acetate were found to form conducting solutions 

 when hydrochloric acid was added to the solution. 



2. The change in conductivity with increase in acid concentration, 

 of the last-named solutions, has been measured. A gradual increase 

 of conductivity was observed as far as the measurements were carried. 

 Alcohol, a poor conductor, proved to be an exceptional case. A 

 rapid increase followed by a sudden drop and then a gradual increase 

 was observed. As the conducting substance is probably polymerized 

 in solution, this variation in the conductivity may be attributed to a 

 variation with concentration of the hydrochloric acid, of the relative 

 rates of association and dissociation. It is concluded from our 

 measurements that the conduction is due to the ionization of an 

 oxonium acid compound by the acid and that the chlorine merely 

 increases the resistance. Since a measurable interval of time is 

 probably necessary to bring about equilibrium between the un- 

 dissociated chlorine compound and the acid the increase in conduction 

 is to be expected. 



3. The conductivity of a solution of acetone with toluene sub- 

 stituted for the chlorine was measured under similar conditions. 

 The conductivity was very much less than in the case of the corre- 

 sponding chlorine solution, but the general shape of the curve is the 

 same, and indicates similar functions in the two cases. 



4. We have failed in our attempts to isolate compounds of the 

 general type, oxygen compound-halogen-halogen acid. Some well 

 crystallized bodies on careful examination proved to be mixtures of 

 previously investigated oxonium halogen and oxonium acid com- 

 pounds. 



NoTE.^ — -This investigation was carried out in 1919-20 by Mr. 

 Mennie, then a bursar of the Honorary Advisory Council. 



Chemistry Laboratory, 



University of British Columbia, 

 Vancouver, B.C. 



20— C 



