BEHAVIOR  OF  PALM-OIL  WHEN  HEATED. 
345 
areometer  of  Beaume  or  Beck,  considerable  errors  would  be  in- 
duced. 
From  this  it  may  readily  be  seen,  that  from  an  observation 
with  Twaddle's  areometer  certain  sound  conclusions  as  to  the 
nature  of  the  fluid  may  be  deduced ;  whilst  Beaume'  or  Beck's 
instruments  not  only  give  imperfect  and  arbitrary  results,  but 
their  indications  do  not  stand  in  connexion  with  the  nature  of 
the  substance  under  investigation. — London  Chem.  Gaz.  Jan.  1, 
1855,  from  Schweiz.  Gewerbebl. 
ON  THE  BEHAVIOR  OF  PALM-OIL  WHEN  HEATED. 
By  Dr.  J.  J.  Pohl. 
The  melting-points  of  palm-oil,  as  observed  by  different  che- 
mists, present  great  discrepancies.  This  would  lead  at  once  to  the 
conclusion,  that  the  oil  has  not  always  the  same  constitution,  a 
supposition  which  acquires  still  greater  probability  from  the 
circumstance  that  the  oil  is  obtained  from  the  fruits  of  various 
palms,  such  as  Jivoira  elais,  and  species  of  Areca  and  Cocos. 
The  author  has  determined  a  series  of  melting-points.  Oil  from 
various  merchants  and  of  different  age,  exhibited  very  different 
melting-points.  One  sample  (A),  940,8-950,2  F.;  another  (B)  on 
an  average,  94°'l  F. ;  and  a  third,  (C)  760*5-76°'9  F.  Very  old 
palm  oil,  which  had  been  kept  at  least  two  years,  melted  at 
105Q-8-106°-16  F. 
The  oil  A,  kept  melted  a  considerable  time  in  contact  with  the 
air  at  190°-199Q  F.,  exhibited  a  melting-point  of  99°'5  F.  The 
fat,  purified  by  filtration  whilst  hot,  was  then  exposed  to  a  higher 
temperature.  At  239°  F.  the  fat  employed  began  apparently  to 
boil,  probably  in  consequence  of  the  evaporation  of  a  small  quan- 
tity of  water  which  it  might  contain  ;  this  ceased  at  368°*6  F. 
But  even  at  294°  F.,  very  acid,  pungent  white  vapors  began  to 
be  formed  (exhibiting  no  resemblance  in  odor  to  acroleine)  ;  these 
became  very  troublesome  at  374°  F.,  although  the  weight  of  the 
substance  thus  volatilized  was  inconsiderable.  At  474°:8  F., 
boiling  did  not  take  place.  The  palm-oil  then  had  a  dark-brown 
appearance  ;  but  a  portion  of  it,  poured  into  cold  water  to  cool  »it 
rapidly,  no  longer  showed  any  trace  of  the  yellowish-red  color; 
