Liquid Hydrogen Sulphide as an Ionizing Medium, — By H. 

 Ritchie Chipman, M. A., Ph.D., and D. McIntosh, M. 

 A., D. Sc, Dalhousie University, Halifax, N. S. 



(Presented 19 April, 1926) 



Qualitative measurements of conductivities in liquefied 

 hydrogen sulphide were made by Walker, Mcintosh and Archi- 

 bald^, and a few organic substances were found to be good con- 

 ductors. All these compounds were basic, and it was naturally 

 concluded that sulphides were formed in solution. In an ex- 

 tensive investigation of the properties of hydrogen sulphide 

 by Steele, Mcintosh and Archibald^, some quantitative deter- 

 minations were carried out, but no inorganic salt could be found 

 to carry the current appreciably. 



In 1925 Quam and Wilkinson^ examined certain reactions 

 in the liquid sulphide, and made some conductivity measure- 

 ments. In only a few cases were values for other than saturated 

 solutions given, so we have thought it well to examine the con- 

 ducting power of certain solutions over a suitable concentration 

 range. 



Among the compounds mentioned by Quam and Wilkinson 

 are several inorganic substances of particular interest, and of 

 these antimony trichloride and iodine show the greatest con- 

 ductivity. We have examined these and also studied the con- 

 ducting power of a number of others which we thought likely 

 to give interesting results. 



The hydrogen sulphide was made from hydrochloric acid 

 and ferrous sulphide in a Richard's generator of the usual type. 

 It was washed, then dried with calcium chloride and phosphorus 

 pentoxide, and liquefied by means of carbon dioxide and ether. 

 For qualitative experiments it was liquefied in test tubes, but 

 in the quantitative determinations directly in the conductivity 

 cell. 



1. Trans. Chem. Soc. (London) 85, (1904). 



2. Trans. Royal Soc. (A) 205, 99, (1905). 



3. J. A. C. S. 47, 103, 989, (i925). 



189 



