OF ALIPHATIC COMPOUNDS. 1 9 



sium acetate solutions. Very small amounts on the 

 contrary result from the electrolysis of the sodium, 

 ammonium, and zinc salts. At the boiling tempera- 

 ture the gases consist mostly of oxygen and contain 

 in addition a little carbon dioxide and a very small 

 quantity of ethane. Metals with several valences 

 change to the higher valence. 



Monochlor-acetic Acid, according to Kolbe, 1 breaks 

 up on electrolysis into hydrochloric and acetic acids, 

 as a result of the action of the electrolytic hydrogen : 



CH S C1.COOH + 2H = CH 8 COOH + HC1. 



Trichlor-acetic Acid gives the same products and 

 in addition also, according to Elbs, tri-chlor-methyl 

 ester, CC1,.CO 3 .CC1 3 . 



Cyan-acetic Acid. Moore 3 obtained at the positive 

 pole carbon dioxide besides traces of nitrogen, and 

 ethylene cyanide ; at the negative pole hydrogen and 

 potassium hydroxide, bodies analogous to the decom- 

 position products of sodium acetate. 



Thio-acetic Acid." This compound gives acetyl 

 disulphide. 5 The acid is formed at the positive pole 

 if a solution of pure acetic acid which has been sat- 

 urated with hydrogen sulphide is subjected to elec- 



1 Tommasi, Trait6 d'Electrochimie, 1889, p. 750. 



2 Journ. prakt. Chemie, [2] 47, 1104; ibid., [2] 55, 502. 

 8 Chem. Ber., 4, 519. 



4 Zeitschr. f. Elektroch., 3, 42. 

 6 Chem, Ber., 3, 297. 



