325 . 



formation of ethylsnlpliiiric acid, can he left undecided for the 

 present. 



We have devised an apparatus, in which an ascending stream of 

 gas came into intimate contact with the descending acid. This 

 washing apparatus, whicii is placed vertically was electrically lieated 

 by means of a coil of nichiome-wire so as to make it possible 

 to keep tlie reaction temperature constant within narrow limits. 

 The ethylene, which is led through the heated, diluted sulphuric 

 acid will withdraw water-vapour from the liquid, for so far as it 

 is not absorbed, which would cause the acid to become more con- 

 centrated in the course of the experiment. To prevent this we 

 have added water-vapour to it at the same time witli the eliiylene ; 

 the partial tension of the water vapour in the introduced gas-mixture 

 was about the same as the water-vapour tension of the used sul- 

 phuric acid at the temperature of the experiment. In this way the 

 concentration of the sidphuric acid was kept about constant during 

 the experiment. 



At the top of the apparatus there escaped, theiefore, water-vapour, 

 not absorbed ethylene, and alcohol vapour, if any was formed. 



It actually appeared possible to obtain alcohol from ethylene in 

 this way. A mixture of ethylene and steam was washed with 

 sulphuric acid of 65 7, H,SO, at a temperature of 150° — 160°. 

 After 5 litres of ethylene had been passed through in 5 hours' time, 

 the distillate contained 0,21 gr. of alcohol '), i. e. a conversion of 

 about 2 7,. 



Then the sulphuric acid used was strongly diluted and distilled 

 out, and in this way 0,08 gr. of alcohol more was obtained. Hence 

 a little ethylsnlphuric acid was still present in the sulphuric acid 

 after the experiment. This renders it probable that the ethylsnlphuric 

 acid is formed as an intermediate product, and that accordingly 

 the formation of alcohol is the result of two successive reactions, 

 as given above. 



In a second similar experiment 4 7o of the ethylene that was 

 passed through, was converted into ethylalcohol. 



With a mixture of sulphuric acid and water containing 557, H,SO< 

 only 0.01 gramme of ethylalcohol was found in the distillate, when 

 5 litres of ethylene mixed with steam had been passed through at 140°. 



With sulphuric acid of 70 7. "O alcohol was found in the dis- 

 tillate, when three litres of ethylene had been passed through. After 



^) The analysis took place by oxidizing the reaction liquid with chromic acid, in 

 consequence of which the alcohol present was oxidized to acetaldehyde Tliis 

 latter was determined coloriraetricaily. 



