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In Part I the isolation of pure montanic acid was described, and it was shown that it had a melting-point of 83°, and had a molecular weight corresponding to a formula C28H56O2.
Pure montanic acid crystallizes from acetic acid in colourless plates.§ It is fairly soluble in hot alcohol and glacial acetic acid, but is much more soluble in motor spirit and ethyl acetate.
Montanic acid is only slightly soluble in methyl alcohol. This fact is of interest, for, while cerotic acid is quite soluble in this solvent, melissic acid is said by Marie to be insoluble.
[Footnote] § Previous experimenters have reported montanic acid as crystallizing in needles.
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Another feature of interest is the sparing solubility of the sodium soap in hot alcohol, for sodium cerotate dissolves without much difficulty.
Barium montanate is fairly easily soluble in hot ammoniacal alcohol, but calcium montanate is insoluble.
Montananilide.—This compound is new. It was prepared in a similar manner to cerotanilide. The pure anilide, after repeated crystallization, melted at 101°5°, and the melting-point was not changed by further crystallization.
Montananilide is soluble in those solvents mentioned for cerotanilide, but the solubility has decreased somewhat. It crystallizes from alcohol in groups of wavy needles.
The kjeldahl method was used for estimating the nitrogen.
| Calc. for C34H61O.N. | Found. |
| N = 2°80 | 2·40 |
Montanone.—This ketone is new, and was prepared in a similar way to cerotone. The ketone, after repeated crystallization, melted at 97°5°, and the melting-point was not changed by further crystallization. A 50-per-cent. yield was obtained by this method of preparation.