[ 109 1 ( MAR 5T921 



w#^ 



X. 



AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSES OF THE SELF- 

 IGNITION OF ETHER-AIE MIXTUEES. 



By the late PROF. J. A. McCLELLAND, D.Sc, F.R.S., 



AND 



EEV. H. V. GILL, S.J., D.S.O., M.C, MA. 

 (University College, Dublin). 



[Read June 22. Published August 13, 1920.] 



The investigation described in this paper arose out of an inquiry into 

 conditions under which mixtures of ether and otiier substances with air 

 ignite. In the course of work on this subject, carried out for Messrs. Nobel's 

 Explosives Co., Ltd., by Messrs. White and Price (Journ. Cheni. Soc, 

 December, 1919, p. 1462), it was noticed that a mixture of air and ether 

 ignited under the conditions described in the present paper. A preliminary 

 examination of this phenomenon was made by these workers, who, however, 

 did not continue their experiments. The results of our preliminary examina- 

 tion, described in Section A, agree with their results. The conclusion arrived 

 at l.iy White and Price is that " the information at present available makes it 

 appear highly probable that the ignition is due to shock caused by the sudden 

 stoppage of the gas rushing into the exhausted tube." 



The object of the investigation here described was to elucidate further the 

 principles imderlyiug this "shock" ignition, which is evidently a fact of the 

 greatest importance from many points of view.^ 



The apparatus with which we first studied the eifect was as follows: — 

 E(fig. 1) is a reservoir of about 10 gallons capacity. It is connected by a 

 glass tube, C.T., 30 inches long and 1-inch diameter, with a wider tube, Ex.T., 

 3 feet long and 3 inches in diameter. It was in this wider tube that the 

 explosion occurred when the mixture was allowed to rush through the tap T 



' Profe.ssor M'Clellaud was invited by Messrs. Nobel's Explosives Co. to undertake 

 this work, and this paper gives an account of the work done and the results arrived at 

 in conjunction with him. Althoucjh it was completed and typed before the lamented 

 death of Professor M'Clelland, it is right to state that it has been necessary to prepare 

 it for publication in its present form without the benefit of his advice. I wish to thank 

 Messrs. Nobel's Explosives Co. and Mr. W. Rintoul, Manager of the Research Section, 

 for kind permission to publish our results. — H.V.G. 



SOIENT. PEOC. B.D.S., VOL XVI, NO. X. O 



