A description is herein given of the general method by which fluorocarbons and some of their derivatives are obtained from hydrogen fluoride, an organic compound, and an electric current.The cells used are made of any material resistant to hydrogen fluoride; the cathodes are usually iron and the anodes nickel. The cells are usually operated at potentials of five to six volts. At these potentials fluorine is not generated, but at much higher potentials it is with resulting explosions and extensive decomposition of the organic material.The principal fluorocarbon product contains the same number of carbon atoms as the hydrocarbon radical of the organic compound.The process is illustrated in the employment of pyridine as the source material and other nitrogen-containing examples. The peculiar behavior of mercuric cyanide in the cells is described.

No abstract

A sample of n-pentforane, C5F12, of high purity was made available by the operation of the electrochemical process for the production of fluorocarbons. The physical properties of this material were determined, and a study was made of the two-component, liquid-gas system of it with n-pentane, C5H12. Deviations from Raoult's law were found which were much greater than could be predicted by existing theories for solutions of nonpolar substances. In order to correlate the experimentally determined properties of these mixtures, it was necessary to extend the existing theories. This was done by assuming a new concept of possible significance in solubility relationships. This concept is pictured as the interpenetration of the molecules in the condensed state. For the particular system herein studied the interpenetration between hydrocarbon molecules is much greater than between fluorocarbon molecules, and the interpenetration between the fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon molecules is as small or smaller than that between fluorocarbon molecules. This additional concept has provided a means for correlating the measurements.

Raman spectra are reported for diketene, 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-l,3-cyclobutanedione, ß-butyrolactone, vinyl acetate, and dehydroacetic acid. The spectrum of diketene does not resemble that of any of the compounds whose spectra are available.2. Of the currently discussed structures for diketene it is possible by its Raman spectrum to exclude all except vinylaceto-/3-lactone and acetylketene. No definite choice between these two formulas has been made. Chicago, III.

Cross sections have been measured for both elastic and inelastic collisions of He+ ions in the energy range from 4 to 400 ev with helium atoms in the gas phase. Charge exchange was the only inelastic process observed except at the highest energies, where very small cross sections for ionization were obtained. Cross sections for charge exchange decreased slowly with increasing ion energy. The potential functions determined from the elastic scattering data are V=−34.5r−6.88 for r>1.7Aand V=−5.15r−2.90 for r<1.7A.Assuming an equilibrium distance of 1.1A the interaction energy for the formation of the molecular ion He2+ is calculated to be 3.9 ev.