﻿180 Prof. J. A. Wanklyn on the Compounds of 



temperatures it proceeds more rapidly. At temperatures ap- 

 proaching to 200° C. it is rapid. 



The most satisfactory way of preparing the compound appears 

 to consist in sealing up hydrated oxide of ethylene-sodium with 

 twice its weight of pure acetic ether, and heating for some 

 time to 150° C. (at which temperature the materials form a clear 

 fluid), and afterwards opening the tube and distilling off the 

 alcohol and excess of acetic ether in the oil-bath. 



It is very easy to effect a partial transformation of the 

 hydrated oxide into the acetate, but not easy to complete the 

 reaction. 



Acetate of ethylene-sodium is a white solid, non-fusible at 

 200° C, but apparently readily soluble at 150° C. in acetic 

 ether. Its characteristic reaction is the giving of alcohol and 

 acetate of soda* by action on water. 



2 . ( C ™)}0 + 3 H*0 



= Na 2 (C 2 H 3 2 ) 2 + 2C 2 H 6 0. 

 It is isomeric with butyrate of soda. The circumstance of its 

 furnishing alcohol and acetate of soda with water shows that the 

 ethylene is associated with the metal and not with the acid part 

 of the salt. 



With iodide of ethyle it reacts in a very interesting manner. 

 It combines with the iodide in the first instance, forming a 

 solid. On the addition of water to this solid (which dissolves in 

 the water, forming a solution of iodide of sodium), there sepa- 

 rates a considerable quantity of oily liquid. This liquid does 

 not contain any sensible quantity of common ether. I am 

 engaged in the investigation of it. 



Valerianate of Ethylene-sodium. 



Preparation. — Hydrated oxide of ethylene-sodium and pure 

 valerianate of ethyle are heated in a retort placed in the oil-bath. 

 Owing to the high boiling-point of valerianate of ethyle, it is 

 unnecessary to make a preliminary digestion in sealed tubes, as 

 in the instance of the acetate just described. The temperature 

 of the oil-bath is to be gradually raised up to the boiling- 

 point of valerianate of ethyle, and then taken up gradually to 

 200° C. During this operation abundance of alcohol has been 



* The fact that this substance really does give alcohol and an acetate, 

 and not the salt of any higher fatty acid, was established by treating some 

 of it with water, and then distilling off the alcohol and estimating it in the 

 distillate, and subsequently rendering the residue acid with dilute sulphuric 

 acid and distilling. The distillate was then saturated with carbonate of 

 baryta, and the resulting baryta-salt analyzed. It contained 53'34 per 

 cent, of barium. Acetate contains 5373. 



