STUDIES ON XANTHATE (I)

ON THE REACTIONS OF SOME XANTHIC ACIDS WITH METALLIC ELEMENTS

Abstract

1. The formation of xanthate with 48 kinds of the metallic elements and 6 kinds of alcohols were studied.
2. The xanthates of metallic elements, are formed directly from alcoholate of metals or indirectly from the inter-reaction of sodium xanthates and metals.
3. The colour of xanthate is characterised by its salt but not by the sulfide of the metal, existing in common.
4. When the molecular weight of alcohol which forms xanthate increases, the solubility of xanthate in water decreases. If the xanthate radicals are the same, the larger the atomic weight the easier the decomposition of the salt, forming sulfide.
5. The xanthates of metals are generally of the same colour, regardless of the alcohol radical which forms xanthate.
6. Besides the reaction of copper, as the method of the detection of xanthate, the reaction of cobalt is interesting.
7. The univalent alcoholic xanthates are insoluble in ether while the polivalent alcoholic xanthates are soluble.
8. As the valency of metal increases, the formation of xanthate becomes harder. With the polivalent metals, the xanthate of the lowest valency are formed.
9. The colour of cellulose xanthate is the same with that of alcoholic xanthate with respect to the same metal.
10. Cellulose xanthate sometimes does not obey the Hotimeister's law, the cause of which is ascribed to the stability and solubility of xanthate.