MATHESON Compressed Gas Notes

NOW Available for R&D Investigation... • CYANOGEN • New Matheson Gas Proportioner • New GAS STERILIZATION Bulletin

CYANOGEN Cyanogen, (CN)2, is of interest as a high energy fuel (heat of formation 73.8 Kcal./mole), as a rocket and missile propellant when mixed with an oxidizing agent such as ozone or fluorine and as an intermediate in a wide variety of organic and inorganic syntheses. Cyanogen is a toxic, flammable gas, with a characteristic almond-like odor. At room temperature and at­mospheric pressure, cyanogen is a colorless gas (B.P. 6.1°J\). I t is shipped in steel cylinders as a lique­fied gas under its own vapor pressure of about 60 p.s.i.g. a t 70°F. As pres­ently supplied, cyanogen has a min­imum purity of 99.5%.

Miscellaneous Reactions of Cyanogen (a) With inorganic and organic acids: Cyanogen is hydrolyzed in concen­trated hydrochloric acid or concen­trated acetic acid, chiefly to oxamide. When passed into an aqueous solu­tion of a carboxylic acid or a phos­phorus containing acid at 50-90 °C. under pressure , cyanogen forms cyanoformamide.

(b) With inorganic bases: Cyanogen is hydrolyzed in dilute alkaline solutions to cyanide and cyanate.

(c) With hydrogen sulfide: Cyanogen and liquid hydrogen sul­fide react in equimolar quantities to form thiocyanoformamide and in a 2:1 molar ratio to form dithioox-amide.

(d) With numerous organic compounds: Cyanogen reacts with monoamines, diamines, guanidines, th ioureas , Grignard and related reagents, phe­nols, thiophenols, alcohols, glycols, compounds conta ining a reac t ive methylene group and aldehydes to afford a diverse number of com­pounds.

The above reactions of cyanogen are illustrative of the scope of its re­activity. More detailed information may be obtained from the compre­hensive review ar t ic le by T. K. Brotherton and J. W. Lynn, Chem. Revs. 59, 841-883 (1959). Recommended Controls:

Manual Control: Matheson No. 57-160 Lecture Bottle: Matheson No. 59.

New Gas Proportioning Unit Our Engineering Department has developed a gas proportioning unit to permit metering of individual gases to make two component mix­tures. The unit allows you to set the flow of each component in a desired ratio. The components are propor­tioned through a mixing chamber resu l t ing in a homogenous gas mixture. The accuracy of the unit is within 5% when used with the general cal­ibration curves we have developed for individual gases and flowmeter tubes. If greater accuracy is required, the unit can be calibrated for any noncorrosive gases a t addi t ional cost. The accuracy of the propor­tioner will then be within 2%. Matheson's Gas Proportioner can be used for making mixtures at pres­sures up to 200 p.s.i.a. A regulator such as Matheson's No. 8 should be used with the cylinder of each com­ponent for delivery pressures up to 50 p.s.i.g. Send for our descriptive price bulletin.

Sterilizing Gas Bulletin A big response to ear l ier "Gas Notes" has prompted us to prepare an eight page bulletin, "Sterilizing Gas Mixtures" describing the ad­vantages and applications of Gas Sterilization with Ethylene Oxide mixtures. The bulletin lists the types of Ster­ilizing mixtures prepared by Mathe­son, discusses sterilizing procedures, how to use the gas, and optimum conditions under which sterilization and fumigation take place. We also include information on handling and storage of gas cylinders. The coupon has a space to check for this bulletin and our price list for Sterilizing Gas mixtures.

The Matheson Company, Inc., P.O. Box 85-B, E. Rutherford, N . J . Please send the following: n Price sheet on Cyanogen • Sterilizing Gas Mixtures, Bulletin and Price List • Matheson Gas Catalog • Price sheet on Matheson Gas Proportioner • Information on Matheson Gas Data Book, 3rd Edition

Name-

Firm—

Address-

City ...State-

The Matheson Company, Inc.

C & E N 67

Compressed Gases and Regulators East Rutherford, N. J. Joliet, 111. Newark, Calif.

M a t h e s o n o f C a n a d a , Ltd.. Whitby, Ont.