Page:The Liquefaction of Gases.djvu/66

62 further search after these I discovered a property of olefiant gas which I am not aware is known (since I do not find it referred to in books), namely its ready solubility in strong alcohol, ether, oil of turpentine, and such like bodies. Alcohol will take up two volumes of this gas; ether can absorb two volumes; oil of turpentine two volumes and a half; and olive oil one volume by agitation at common temperatures and pressure; consequently, when a vessel of olefiant gas is transferred to a bath of any of these liquids and agitated, absorption quickly takes place.

Examined in this way, I have found no specimen of olefiant gas that is entirely absorbed; a residue always remains, which, though I have not yet had time to examine it accurately, appears to be light carburetted hydrogen; and I have no doubt that this is the substance which has mainly interfered in my former results. This substance appears to be produced in every stage of the preparation of olefiant gas. On taking six different portions of gas at different equal intervals, from first to last, during one process of preparation, after removing the sulphurous and carbonic acid and the ether as before described, then the following was the proportion per cent, of insoluble gas in the remainder when agitated with oil of turpentine, 10.5; 10; 10.1; 13.1; 28.3; 61.8. Whether carbonic oxide was present in any of these undissolved portions I cannot at present say.

In reference to the part dissolved, I wish as yet to guard myself from being supposed to assume that it is one uniform substance; there is indeed little doubt that the contrary is true; for whilst a volume of oil of turpentine introduced into twenty times its volume of olefiant