Metal in a Salt by Electro -negative Elements, 143 



Organic matters, such as sugar, alcohol, &c, are oxidized at 

 the expense of the acetate of chlorine, and disengage the chlorine. 



In general, nearly all substances of a more electro-positive 

 character than chlorine drive chlorine out of acetate of chlorine. 



The acetate of chlorine was analyzed thus : — 



0*370 grm. of acetate of chlorine was dissolved in water and 

 treated with sulphurous acid, and then precipitated with nitrate 

 of silver. It gave 0*580 grm. of chloride of silver, correspond- 

 ing to 38*77 per cent, of chlorine. 



The formula (C 2 H 3 C1)0 requires 37*566 per cent, of chlo- 

 rine. 



The reaction by which acetate of chlorine is formed is this, 



(C 2 H 3 O) 2 + CI 2 = (C 2 H 3 CI) + (C 2 H 3 CI) 0, 



being a double decomposition, chlorine and acetyle exchanging 

 against one another. 



The reaction between acetate of chlorine and water is 



(C 2 H 3 0C1)0 + H 2 = (C 2 H 3 0H)0 + C1H0. 



Acetate of bromine has not been obtained pure. It presents 

 many points of resemblance to the corresponding chlorine-com- 

 pound. It is very unstable and difficult to deal with. 



2. Acetate of Iodine. 



The most convenient way of preparing acetate of iodine is the 

 following : — 



30 grms. of anhydrous acetic acid, to which 15 grms. of iodine 

 have been added, are submitted to the action of a current of well- 

 dried hypochlorous acid. The apparatus must be kept cool by 

 being surrounded with cold water. The hypochlorous acid may 

 be made with great ease and facility by passing a mixture of 

 chlorine and carbonic acid over peroxide of mercury prepared by 

 precipitation and dried at 100° C. The object of using the 

 carbonic acid to dilute the chlorine is to regulate the action. 

 During the absorption of the hypochlorous acid by the anhydrous 

 acetic acid and iodine, several changes in the appearance of the 

 substances will be noted. The iodine will disappear by degrees, 

 and then an abundant crop of yellowish- white acicular crystals 

 will be formed. If the transmission of the hypochlorous acid 

 be continued, these acicular crystals will gradually dissolve, and 

 at the same time there will be an abundant evolution of chlorine. 

 The liquid will next become quite colourless. This stage of the 

 operation being reached, it is well to stop the transmission of 

 the hypochlorous acid. In a few minutes there will be an abun- 

 dant deposit of small crystalline grains, colourless at first, but 



