158 Friedel and Crafts on the Ethers of Silicic Acid. 
We believe that we have succeeded in demonstrating that the 
most simple formulz possible for silicic acid and the normal 
silicic ether are SiO, and Si, 4(€,H,6), and in consequence, 
that the true atomic weight of silicium is 28. 
Silicate of ethyl.*—We chose as point of departure for our re- 
search the silicic ether, discovered and studied by Ebelmen. In 
regard to this body we have little to add to the facts recorded 
by him. The ether was prepared as recommended by him, tak- 
ing care to use absolute alcohol, and to add it in sfhall quantities 
at a time to the chlorid of silicium. When the alcohol is per- 
fectly anhydrous, the quantity of ether obtained is almost equal 
to the theoretical; however, a small quantity of chlorid of sill- 
cium is always carried off by the hydrochloric acid gas whic 
s. 
Silicic ether, purified by repeated distillation, boils at 165°. 
0° C. =0°9676. Ebelmen gives 
is distilled with water, only traces of silica remain behind in the 
vessel. These facts must be attributed to its nearly complete 
d 
apn the ether, for when it is heated during a long time ina 
osed tube with aqueous alcohol, a larger quantity of p Lysili 
cate is obtained than when the two liquids are merely distilled 
together. 
Assigning, like Gerhardt and Odling, the formula $i, 4(€2H,9) 
to silicic ether, we are naturally led to think that it would be 
ible to replace one-quarter of the ethyl and oxygen (2H, 
y chlorine; as in the diethylic lactic ether an atom of peroxy 
of ethyl (€,H,©) can be replaced by chlorine with formation 
of chlorolactate of ethyl. 
Diethylic lactic ether. Norrnal silicate of ethyl. 
tte . st Lo 
2(C2H.) f ~? 4(€,H,)$ * 
Chlorolactate of ethyl. Monochlorhydrine of silicic ether. 
it . 
3-4 et 
€,H, 3(€,H, ) = 
1 Cl 
In case of silicic ether, we ought to be able to go further, and 
not only replace one but several atoms of peroxyd of ethyl by 
chlorine, and obtain the bodies 
* The atomic weights used are Sj=28, 90=16, €=12, H=1. 
