Olefant Gas,

Olefant Gas, or ETHYLENE, $C\_2H\_4$, is the most abundant illuminating constituent in coal-gas. It may be obtained by the destructive distillation of coal, but more readily by the action of sulphuric acid on alcohol. It is a colourless gas with a faint odour, but little soluble in water or alcohol. It may be liquefied by cold and pressure. With air it forms a powerfully explosive mixture, which, on being burned, yields water and carbonic acid gas. When mixed with an equal volume of chlorine, and kept cool and in the dark, the two gases unite, with the production of drops of an oily liquid called Dutch Liquid (q.v.).