66 DERIVATIVES OF ETHYL ALCOHOL. 



Ethylamine, C 2 H 5 .:N"H 2 . Ethyl bromide and 

 aqueous ammonia combine gradually at the ordinary 

 temperature, more rapidly when heated in sealed tubes 

 to 100, forming ethylamine hydrobromate (bromethyl- 

 ammonium). Ethyl iodide and bromide act in the 

 same way. By this reaction, however, small quanti- 

 ties of di- and triethylamine are formed at the same 

 time.* It is obtained in a pure condition by distilling 

 ethyl cyanate or cyanurate with potassa ; the distillate, 

 being neutralized by hydrochloric acid, yields, on 

 evaporation, ethylamine hydrochlorate. Ethylamine 

 nitrate is produced when ethyl nitrate is heated with 

 an alcoholic solution of ammonia ; ethylamine sulphate 

 by treating acetonitrile (see p. 38) with zinc and sul- 

 phuric acid. By gently heating one of these salts 

 with caustic potassa, ethylamine is set free ; it evolves 

 in gaseous form, is passed through a tube containing 

 pieces of caustic potassa, for the purpose of drying it, 

 and then conducted into a vessel cooled below 0. 

 This liquid (boiling point, 18) smells almost exactly 

 like ammonia ; specific gravity, 0.696 ; inflammable ; 

 mixes with water; a caustic alkali ; a more powerful 

 base than ammonia. Its solution precipitates metallic 

 salts the same as ammonia, redissolves precipitated 

 alumina, however, when added in excess. Nitrous 

 acid decomposes it, alcohol, nitrogen, and water being 

 formed. 



Ethylamine hydrochlorate, C 2 H 7 KHC1, forms 

 large, deliquescent, tabular crystals, soluble in alcohol. 

 With platinum chloride it gives a yellow compound 

 (C 2 H 7 KHCl) 2 PtCl 4 . 



Diethylamine, (C 2 H 5 ) 2 NH. Ethylamine in an 

 aqueous solution combines in a short time with ethyl 

 bromide, forming diethylamine hydrobromate, from 

 which the free base can be obtained by means of 

 potassa. A liquid, easily inflammable, boiling at 57, 



* On the separation of these three bases from each other, see 

 Diethyl Oxamid in connection with Oxalic Acid. 



