SULPHURIC ETHER.

207

by which ether and sulphuric acid are obtained. Mr. Hennell explainsthe process in the following way:—Four equivalents or 190 parts ofthe protohydrated sulphuric acid re-act on two equivalents or 46 partsof alcohol, and produce two equivalents or 18 parts of water, oneequivalent, or 108 parts of sulplio-vinic acid, and two equivalents or 116parts of the binliydrated sulphuric acid. These are the products ofthe first stage of the process. By the heat employed the sulpho-vinicacid is decomposed into one equivalent or 28 parts of a carbo-hydrogen ( etherine), and two equivalents or 80 parts of anhydroussulphuric acid. The carbo-hydrogen (etherine) uniting with one equiva-lent or 9 parts of water forms one equivalent or 37 parts of ether, whichdistil over; while the anhydrous sulphuric acid, with the binhydratedsulphuric acid, reproduces protohydrated sulphuric acid, which remainsin the retort with one of the two equivalents of water formed in the firststage of the process ; so that ether, water, and protohydrated sulphuricacid, are the products of the second stage of the process. The following-diagram illustrates the changes according to Mr. Hennell’s views{Phil. Trans. 1826 and 1828):—

RESULTS.

INGREDIENTS USED.

(2 eq. Oxygen .. 16

n. Alcohol 46 P e 1- Hydrogen 21 J4 eq. Hydrogen 4

(.4 eq. Carbon .. 24

q. Prothyd r . 5 2eq.Sulphur?. A<J.80ilphurc.A d .98 eq. Water.... 18-

3. Prothydr. Sulpliurc. A* 1 .

FIRST STAGE.

2 n.water.... ” %

2 eq. Binhydr, Sulphur c .

SECOND STAGE.

, 1 eq. Ether .. 3711 eq. Water .. 9

^4 eq. Prothyd* - .Sulphurc.Ad. 196

According to this theory, sulpho-vinic acid may be regarded as abisulphate of etherine.

2 eq. Sulphuric Acid4 eq. Carbon . . .4 eq. Hydrogen . .

1 eq. Sulpho-vinic Acid.

80

24

4

2 eq. Sulphuric Acid .

i -cui • U eq. Carbon. .1 eq. Etherine . . ^ lx j^ (4 eq. Hydrogen

108

1 eq. Bisulphate Etherine

80

24

4

108

The theory of etherification, according to Liebig (Handworterbuch derChemie, 1 Bd. S. 110—116, 1837), may be thus concisely stated:—Four equivalents or 196 parts of the protohydrated sulphuric acid re-acton two equivalents or 46 parts of alcohol, and produce one equivalentor 9 parts of water, one equivalent or 117 parts of ethereo-sulphuric acid,and two equivalents or 116 parts of binhydrated sulphuric acid. Theseare the products of the first stage of the process. At a temperature ofabout 255° F. the ethereo-sulphuric acid is decomposed into an equivalentor 37 parts of ether, which distil over, and two equivalents or 80 parts ofanhydrous sulphuric acid, which, with the binhydrated sulphuric acid,reproduce four equivalents or 196 parts of the proto sulphuric acid: thelatter remain in the retort with the equivalent of water produced in thefirst stage of the process.

The following diagram will perhaps sen e to render this view moreintelligible:—