184 
IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 
When the gases ethane, acetylene, and hydrogen separate 
themselves from the sulphuric acid, as described above, 
they should be conducted through an ammoniacal solution 
of cuprous chloride, where all of the acetylene will be 
absorbed, forming a red precipitate having the formula: 
HC=CCu. Cl Cu. Ethane and hydrogen are not affected 
by this solution and will therefore pass off in gaseous form 
and be separated from the acetylene. The ethane and 
hydrogen are now treated with chlorine gas in diffused 
sunlight, the following reaction taking place: 
C2Hfl+H+3Cl--=C2H5CH-2HCl. . . .(7). 
C 2 H 5 CI is called ethyl chloride. It is an ethereal liquid, 
boiling at 12. 5^^, and having a specific gravity of 0.921 at 0^. 
It has been found that if ethyl chloride is boiled with 
water in a sealed tube, the chlorine will slowly leave the 
ethyl chloride to form hydrochloric acid with one of the 
atoms of hydrogen in the water, the remaining atom of 
hydrogen and the atom of oxygen replacing the chlorine in 
the ethyl chloride. The equation of this reaction is: 
C2H5C1 + H 20 ==C 2 H 50 H + HC1. . . .(8). 
This, however, is a very tedious process. A reaction of 
the same nature, but of more ease and quickness of accom- 
plishment, may be obtained by substituting potassium or 
sodium hydroxide in the place of the water. It will be 
remembered that there is some hydrochloric acid mixed 
with the ethyl chloride. This will, however, not interfere 
with the desired reaction, but will simply require a greater 
amount of the caustic alkali than if the ethyl chloride 
alone were present. The first reaction will be between the 
hydrochloric acid and the alkali, and will continue as long 
as free hydrochloric acid remains. It will act according 
to this equation: 
HCH-K0H=-KC1 + H 2 O. . . .(9). 
When entire neutralization has been effected, a second 
reaction will take place, thus: 
C 2 H 5 C1+(K Cl+H 2 0)+KQH ^CoH.0H +2 KCl + H 2 0 . . (10) . 
