In contact with neutral or acid
solutions of cuprous salts acetylene yields various double compounds
differing in colour and crystallising power; but according to Chavastelon
and to Caro they are all devoid of explosive properties. Sometimes a
yellowish red precipitate is produced in solutions of copper salts
containing free acid, but the deposit is not copper acetylide, and is
more likely to be, at least in part, a copper phosphide--especially if
the gas is crude. Hence acid solutions or preparations of copper salts
may safely be used for the purification of acetylene, as is done in the
case of frankoline, mentioned in Chapter V. It is clear that the amount
of free acid in such a material is much more than sufficient to
neutralise all the ammonia which may accompany the crude acetylene into
the purifier until the material is exhausted in other respects; and
moreover, in the best practice, the gas would have been washed quite or
nearly free from ammonia before entering the purifier.
From a practical aspect the possible interaction of acetylene and
metallic copper has been investigated by Gerdes and by Grittner, whose
results, again, are somewhat contradictory.
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