Amyl nitrite is a yellow-coloured liquid of specific gravity 0.877, boiling at about 95 to 96 degrees Celsius. It is insoluble in water, but dissolves readily in alcohol, ether, glacial acetic acid, chloroform, and benzene. It is prepared by passing nitrous fumes (from starch and concentrated nitric acid) into warm isoamyl alcohol[?], or by distilling a mixture of 26 parts of potassium nitrite[?] in 15 parts of water with 30 parts of isoamyl alcohol in 30 parts of sulphuric acid. On heating with methyl alcohol[?], it is converted into isoamyl alcohol and methyl nitrite[?]; a similar reaction takes place with ethyl alcohol, but the change is less complete. It is readily decomposed by nascent hydrogen, with the formation of ammonia and isoamyl alcohol; and on hydrolysis with caustic potash it forms potassium nitrite[?] and isoamyl alcohol. When the liquid is dropped onto fused caustic potash, it forms potassium valerate[?].
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