Chemistry. — "Researches on the Addition of Water to Ethylene 

 and Propi/Iene". (Preliminary Communication). By Dr. J. P. 

 WiBACT and J. J. Diekmann (Communicated by Prof. A. F. 

 Holleman). 



(Communicated at the meeting of March 24, 1923). 



About (wo 3ears ago experiments were carried out by one of 

 us purposing lo study tiie possibility of a direct addition of water 

 to elliyleue and propylene. The continuation of this investigation 

 has been render-ed possible by a liberal support granted me from 

 the HoottEW KRFF-fund. I gladly avail myself of this opportunity to 

 express my great indebtedness to the Board of Management of the 

 HooGEWEHFF-fund for this help. 



Though these investigations have not yet been completed, it seems 

 desirable to me in connection with a .^hort notice in the „Chemiker 

 Zeitung" of Jan. 2"^' 1923 (N°. 47. p. 7j, in which H. W. Ki.ever 

 describes similar researches, to publish a preliminary communication 

 on the results obtained by us. 



J. P. WlBADT. 



^ 1. The Action of Water-vapour on Ethylene and Propylene 

 in the Presence of Catalysts. 



Since the investigations by Ipatiew, Senderens and Sabatier it has 

 been known that at high temperature and in the gaseous condition 

 ethyl-alcohol and some of its homologues can be decomposed in two 

 ways : 



C,H.OH-*C,H, + H,0 (1). 



H 

 C,H,OH^CH,C=ü + H, (II). 



Both reactions are typical catalytic reactions, vvliicli only proceed 

 readily in the presence of certain contact-substances. Anhydrous 

 aliiminiumsulpliate and aluiiiiniuraoxide are typical catalysts that 

 split off water freactioii I). Metals like copper and iron, especially 

 ill finely divided condition, are typical catalysts for tiie splitting 

 off of hydrogen (reaction II). 



The range of temperature, in which particularly the first reaction 



