﻿362 On some Reactions of Hydrated Oxide of Ethylene -sodium. 



of CO 2 on Na C 2 H 5 at high temperatures. Carbonic acid 

 therefore only forms carbonate of ethylene-sodium when made 

 to act on the hydrated oxide of ethylene-sodium. 



Action of Oxide of Carbon, CO. 



It is stated in many of the chemical handbooks that carbonic 

 oxide and ethylate of sodium give propionate of soda. What the 

 authority may be for this statement I have never been able to 

 ascertain. Some years ago several chemists, including myself, 

 made the crystals of so-called ethylate of sodium and subjected 

 them to the action of oxide of carbon at 100° C. We were un- 

 able to observe any formation of propionate of soda. Another 

 statement respecting the action of these substances is that they 

 give a pseudo-propionate of soda, which on treatment with water 

 gave formiate of soda and alcohol. 



I have therefore studied the action of carbonic oxide on the 

 hydrated oxide of ethylene-sodium with the special object of as- 

 certaining whether or not there was formation of a soda-salt. 



I employed 2032 grms. of sodium, which was dissolved in 

 absolute alcohol, and the resulting product heated up to 220° C. 

 for some time in a current of dry carbonic oxide. The weight 

 of the product after this exposure to the action of the gas was 

 5*898 grms., being only the unaltered hydrated oxide of ethy- 

 lene-sodium. Calculating the percentage of sodium in the pro- 

 duct from these data, we have Na per cent. = 34*45. The 

 theory for hydrated oxide of ethylene-sodium is Na per cent. 

 = 33*82. Therefore no absorption of CO takes place even at 

 220° C. In further confirmation of this result, water was added 

 to the product and a titration made with normal acid. It satu- 

 rated 82*5 cubic centims. of normal acid, and therefore con- 

 tained 1*897 grm. of sodium in the caustic state — a result 

 which confirms the statement that there is no action between 

 carbonic oxide and hydrated oxide of ethylene-sodium. 



Action of Ammonia. 



A quantitative experiment showed that at 240° C. there is no 

 action between hydrated oxide of ethylene-sodium and ammonia. 



The following new compounds have been described in this 

 paper : — 



roc 2 H 5 



Na"N H 

 [SH. 



OC 2 H 5 



