Abstract
PARIS. Academy of Sciences, September 17.—M. Maurice Lévy in the chair.—Remarks relating to the decomposition of nitric esters and of nitroglycerine by alkalis, and on the relative stability of explosive materials, by M. Berthelot. In certain cases, instead of the production of the alcohol and nitrate as in the normal reaction, an aldehyde is formed, together with some nitrite. The results of M. Leo Vignon upon the nitrocelluloses confirm these views.—On the nomographic resolution of the equation of the seventh degree, by M. Maurice d'Ocagne.—On the deformations of contact of elastic bodies, by M. A. Lafay. Spheres of bronze and steel were studied and the amount of compression under varying loads measured by optical arrangements analogous to the Fizeau apparatus for the measurement of the expansion of crystals. The application of the theory developed by Hertz showed differences between the calculated and observed values which increased with the radius of the sphere. Since this divergence might possibly be due to the mutual friction of the surfaces in contact, experiments were made with oiled spheres, but the results were not affected by the lubrication.—Action of iodine and yellow oxide of mercury upon styrolene and safrol, by M. J. Bougault. Styrolene with iodine and mercuric oxide yielded an addition product, not obtainable pure, but apparently C6H5.CHI.CH2.OH, from which phenylacetic aldehyde was obtained by the action of silver nitrate. Safrol gives a similar addition product, but no aldehyde could be obtained from this by the action of silver nitrate.—On the reduction of the nitrocelluloses, by M. Leo Vignon. It has been shown in a previous paper that the nitration of cellulose yields, not nitrocelluloses, but nitro-oxycellulose containing an aldehyde group. With ferrous chloride, these bodies are reduced, the nitro-group being eliminated but the aldehyde group left intact. With ammonium sulphide, the reduction takes place in a different manner, cellulose or hydrocellulose being produced, substances without reducing action.
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Societies and Academies . Nature 62, 544 (1900). https://doi.org/10.1038/062544a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/062544a0