120 The Philippine Journal of Science mi 



The samples taken for fractionation were freed from water 

 by settling and by repeated use of separatory funnels. Yet on 

 fractionation a high percentage of water was found dissolved in 

 certain of the tars. In the cases of palosapis, white lauan, pine, 

 and guijo the percentage of water ranged from 20 to 34, while 

 in the others it seldom was above 10 per cent and was even as 

 low as 2.6, as in api-api. 



The fractions passing over below 100° C. have a specific 

 gravity of 0.958-0.998; are colorless, quickly turning yellow to 

 brown; are very inflammable; and have a strong, characteristic 

 odor. They gave reactions for aldehydes and ketones by the 

 acid sulphite method. Attempts to form terpene compounds 

 from the fractions from the resinous woods gave slight results. 

 A few crystals of terpene hydrate were obtained. 



The fraction passing over between 150° and 250° C. and con- 

 taining the creosote fraction ranged from pale yellow to brown. 

 All specimens quickly darkened. The specific gravity varies from 

 1.010 to 1.028. The green and the blue oils began passing over 

 at 230° C, accompanied by a small amount of water, indicating 

 decomposition of some of the compounds present. This decom- 

 position and liberation of water was greater with the tars from 

 the apitong and other resinous woods than from the bacauan and 

 less resinous ones. The green anthracene oil preceded the blue 

 coming over in distillation. The fractions from each of the 

 tars showed marked reaction with caustic soda and gave rapid 

 reaction for esters. Two cubic centimeters of the oil added 

 to 100 cubic centimeters of a 20 per cent solution of sodium 

 hydroxide set to a heavy, flocculent white precipitate. About 

 70 per cent of this compound decomposes upon washing free 

 of alkali or treatment with solvents. The percentages of oil 

 unacted upon by the sodium hydroxide seemed very low. No 

 further work was done on this portion of the tars. It is pro- 

 posed at a later date to fractionate larger quantities of this 

 fraction, getting the exact creosote fraction and the percentage of 

 phenolic compounds present. The fractions passing over above 

 250° C. are semisolid and usually red. They contain the highest 

 fractions of the wood tar, together with certain high boiling 

 fractions of the wood resins and their decomposition compounds. 

 The residue after fractionation is a vitreous black pitch, having 

 a conchoidal fracture and rather high melting point. It is 

 slightly soluble in alcohol, chloroform, and ether and is moder- 

 ately soluble in carbon disulphide, acetone, benzol, and xylene. 



