218 Mr. V. H. Veley. Examination of Physical and [Nov. 23, 



substance is described as a liquid, b.p. 147, soluble in alcohol, insoluble in 

 water. These writers also showed that when this compound is heated with 

 alcoholic potash, one molecular proportion of hydrochloric acid is removed 

 with formation of trichlorethylene, CHCl : CCI2, a liquid, b.p. 88, of chloroform- 

 like odour. 



Tetrachlorethane was more fully examined by Paterno and Pisati,* who 

 prepared it from dichloraldehyde and phosphorus pentachloride ; the following 

 physical data are given, b.p. (corr.) 147 ±0-25; D» = 1-614, D^* = 1-578, 

 j)ioo _ 1-522 compared with water at the same respective temperatures. 

 They confirmed the observation of Berthelot and Jungrleisch as to the 

 formation of trichlorethylene, b.p. 87 to 88. 



Trichlorethylene was also obtained by Paterno and Oglialorof as one of the 

 products formed by heating chloral with phosphorus pentasulphide. 



Certain physical data of tetrachlorethane are given by Kanonnikoff,+ 

 namely T)^l^ = 1-5897 and the refractive index = 1-49051. 



The preparation of tetrachlorethane on a sufhciently large scale by the 

 chlorination of either ethylene chloride or acetylene (adopting certain 

 precautions) in presence of aluminium chloride is fully described by 

 Mouneyrat.§ As the cost of manufacture, both of acetylene and chlorine 

 gases, as also the price of aluminium chloride, have been considerably 

 reduced, tetra-chlorethane can be prepared cheaply, as also trichlorethylene 

 from it. 



Tetrachlorethane. — The commercial product, fractionally distilled with a 

 Young's still head with three bulbs, gave the following results : — 



Pel' cent. 



Portion boiling below 138° (binary mixture of water and 



compound) 2-0 



Ditto between 138° and 147° (probably trichlorethane) 9-5 



Ditto at 147°-2± 0-1 (corr.) 77-0 



Residue, rather discoloured 7-3 



Loss 4-2 



100-0 



Tlic portion of b.p. 147°-2 was taken as pure, boiling point being 

 nearly identical with that found by Paterno and Pisati. 



The densities of Uu; li(iiii.l found wciv, IW' = 1-6208 and D"/i' = 1-6013«, 



* 'Ciazz. VMm. Ital.,' 1H71, vol. 1, p. 401. 

 + Il>;d., 1873, vol. 3, p. 538. 



\ ' Joiirn. KuHH. Vhyn. Cheni. Soc.,' 1892, vol. 34, p. 602. 

 § ' I'.iill. Soc. Cliim.,' 1898 [3], vol. 1!), j). ■1.')2. 



