On new compounds of carbon and hydrogen, and on certain other products obtained during the decomposition of oil by heat / [Michael Faraday].

  • Faraday, Michael, 1791-1867
Date:
1825
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On new compounds of carbon and hydrogen, and on certain other products obtained during the decomposition of oil by heat / [Michael Faraday]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    portable vessels. It is in the receiver that the condensation principally takes place; and it is from that vessel that the liquid I have worked with has been taken. The fluid is drawn off at the bottom by opening a conical valve : at first a portion of water generally comes out, and then the liquid. It effervesces as it issues forth ; and by the difference of re- fractive power it may be seen, that a dense transparent vapour is descending through the air from the aperture. The effervescence immediately ceases ; and the liquid may be readily retained in ordinary stoppered, or even corked bottles ; a thin phial being sufficiently strong to confine it. I understand that 1000 cubical feet of good gas yield nearly one gallon of the fluid. The substance appears as a thin light fluid; sometimes transparent and colourless, at others opalescent, being yellow or brown by transmitted, and green by reflected light. It has the odour of oil gas. When the bottle containing it is opened, evaporation takes place from the surface of the liquid; and it may be seen by the striae in the air that vapour is passing off from it. Sometimes in such circum- stances it will boil, if the bottle and its contents have had their temperature raised a few degrees. After a short time this abundant evolution of vapour ceases, and the remaining portion is comparatively fixed. The specific gravity of this substance is 0.821. It does not solidify at a temperature of o° F. It is insoluble, or nearly so, in water; very soluble in alcohol, ether, and vola- tile and fixed oils. It is neutral to test colours It is not more soluble in alkaline solutions than in water; and only a small portion is acted upon by them. Muriatic acid has no