A Manual of the Chemistry of the Carbon Compounds

THE CARBON COMPOUNDS. 185
trated hydracids of these elements also combine with etheue, forming
halol'd ethers of ethyL By shaking it with concentrated sulphuric
acid it is dissolved, ethylsulphuric acid being formed. Aqueous
hypochlorous and hypobromous acids also absorb the gas slowly.
When ethene is passed into a solution of platinum dichloride and
hydrochloric acid, the compound CaH4PtCl» is formed, remaining on
evaporation as a brown gum-like mass. Mlune-platinum chloride
combines with bases and the chlorides of the alkali-metals, forming
crystallized compounds. Potassium - etliene - platinum chloride
C2H4PtCLKCl + HjO crystallizes in large lemon-yellow plates.
Ethene bichloride O?H4O12.—Ethene was discovered in the year 1795
by four Dutch chemists, who found that this gas readily combines
with chlorine, forming an oily liquid, which still is known by the
name of Dutch liquid.
To prepare ethene dichloride, equal volumes of ethene and
chlorine are passed into a large glass globe, provided at the lower
end wtth an open tubulus, through which the dichloride runs into a
flask. It may also be prepared by passing, ethene into a mixture of
manganese dioxide, salt, and dilute sulphuric acid as long as the
gas is absorbed, and then distilling the dichloride off.
Ethene dichloride is also formed in quantity, togethei with ethyl
chloride and dichlorethaae, as a by-product in the manufacture of
chloral.
Etheno dichloride is a mobile, colourless liquid smelling like chloroform,
and boilhig at 85°; at 0" it has the specific gravity T271. When
it is heated with an alcoholic solution of potash it loses one molecule
of hydrochloric acid, and mmwchloret/une or vinyl cltkride Cy^Cl
escapes as a gas, which at —18° condenses to a liquid. This compound
combines like ethene again with one molecule of chlorine, forming
monockbrcthene diohlorUie GJ&3G[,G[t. which is acted upon by alcoholic
potash with the formation of dickloretkenc C2H2CL By repeating
this reaction the following substitution-products have been obtained:—
Boiling-point.
MouocMoretheue C4H8C1 . . . . - 18
Pichloretheno C^HjCl8 . . . . + 37
Trichlorethene C2H Cls . . . . 88
Totrachlorethene CSC14 . . . . 117
On combining these chlorethenes with chlorine a series of compounds
are formed having the same composition as the chlorine substitutiou-proilnots
of ethene :—
Fvuiu Ktlioja-.
GaH4Cls
C8H3C1
C2H2C1,
C!HCI
C;CL
Boiliug-poiut.
. . . 85°
. . . 115
. . . 147
. . . 158
. . . 182
From Ethane.
C. H.CL .
C.HA
C2H8C14
C H Cl
CO. 6
lloilLug-point.
. . 59°
. . 75
. . . 127
. . 158
. . 182