Some experiments on the disinfection of rooms by gaseous formaldehyde.

Date:
[between 1890 and 1899]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Some experiments on the disinfection of rooms by gaseous formaldehyde. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    SOME EXPERIMENTS ON THE DISINFECTION OF ROOMS BY GASEOUS FORMALDEHYDE. The value of formic aldehyde (CH^O) as a gaseous disinfectant has been fully established by the work of numerous observers both abroad and in this country. This gas may be produced by imperfect oxidation of methyl alcohol (CH^O) or when vapours of this alcohol mixed with air are made to pass over certain hot metals such as copper, silver, platinum, or palladium. A more complete oxidation would ultimately give rise to carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, or formic acid * and water, e.g.- 2 CH3OH + 3 O2 = 2 CO, + 4 H.O ; CH.OH + 20= HCOOH + H.O. Several lamps have been devised in which methyl alcohol vapours are oxidised by being made to pass over finely-divided platinum (platinised asbestos is generally used). Some of these lamps are imperfect, either because a more or less considerable portion of the methyl alcohol is not acted upon, or else because the oxidation goes beyond the required degree, in both cases the quantity of formic aldehyde generated is much reduced and may be insufficient for the purposes of efficient disinfection. Trillat, to whom we owe chiefly the introduction of formic aldehyde gas as a disinfectant, and who has himself devised a formogenic lamp, has finally adopted another method for the generation of formic aldehyde. He heats under a pressure of several atmospheres a pure 30 to 40 per cent, watery solution of formic aldehyde to which 4 to 5 per cent, of a neutral chloride (chloride of calcium) have been added (formochlorol so called). Under these conditions almost pure and dry active formal- dehyde gas may be obtained without any sensible loss being produced by polymerisation or escape of methyl alcohol. There can be no doubt as to the excellence of the results obtained by Trillat's method, but the autoclave necessary to generate the gas is expensive, it is somewhat heavy, and its working must be watched with some care. Knowing that I was interested in the disinfection of rooms. Dr. Mills, * The conditions under which methyl alcohol is o-xidjsed in formogenic lamps are not favourable to the production of formic acid. g<-ic lamps