334 Friedel and Crafts on the Ethers of Silicic Acid. 
In an experiment, made with the special object of obtaining 
an ether containing a larger proportion of methyl, we heated 
silicate of ethyl] during 15 hours at 250° with a large excess of 
methylic alcohol, then distilled, and heated a second time with 
methylic alcohol, the liquid, boiling below 150°, but still the 
greater part of the product passed at 148°-147°. This product 
redistilled at 145°-147° furnished us the material for analysis 
No. tv. If the mono-methylic and mono-ethylic mixed ethers 
are formed, as is probable, it is in a much smaller proportion. 
The simultaneous production of condensed ethers with a higher 
boiling point, noticed above, could only be accounted for by the 
presence of water in the methylic alcohol used, since we con- 
vinced ourselves by experiment, that there was no formation of 
ordinary methylic or ethylic ether, bodies whose production 
would equally have accounted for the formation of condensed 
silicates. The methylic alcohol really loses water by the pro- 
cess; for on employing the same alcohol for a second prepara- 
tion, there was production of more of the mixed ethers and less 
of the condensed silicates. 
This observation induced us to give greater attention to ren- 
dering the methylic alcohol anhydrous; and we discovered, that 
even 8-10 distillations with sodium and methylate of sodium 
were not sufficient to make the alcohol perfectly anhydrous. 16 
is probable, that when the percentage of water is reduced to a 
certain limit, the methylate of sodium is no longer decomposed. 
We were more successful in drying methylic alcohol by 
means of anhydrous phosphoric acids. ; 
Methylic alcohol, distilled twice with sodium, and then with 
a small quantity of phosphoric acid, boils at 65°°5, loses the 
disagreeable odor, that it usually has, and smells like com- 
mon alcohol, and does not turn brown with soda. Purified in 
this manner, it no longer gives, when heated with silicic ether, 
more than traces of condensed silicates. ; 
The preceding observations on the difficulty of purifying and 
drying methylic alcohol led us to suspect, that the bad success 
of the attempts of Ebelmen and our own to obtain methylic 
silicic ether by the direct action of chlorid of silicium on the - 
alcohol, arose merely from the impurity of the material em- 
ployed. The following experiment shows, that this was the 
Methylic alcohol, purified with the precautions mentioned 
above and added in small quantities at a time to chlorid of sill- 
cium, reacts upon it in exactly the same manner as ordinary 
alcohol. It does not turn brown more than the latter. Hy dro- 
chloric acid is given off in abundagee, reducing the temperature 
of the liquid. When the theoretical quantity of alcohol has 
been added, the product is distilled a after a small number 
? 
” 
