THE DIFFUSION OF ATMOSPHERIC GASES THROUGH FATS AND OILS

1. An apparatus is described for measurement of both the solubility and the diffusion constant of a gas in a liquid solvent. 2. Attention is drawn to the possibility of supersaturation of a gas in a solvent when "equilibration" is hastened by shaking. 3. The solubilities and diffusion constants of H 2 and 0 2 in olive oil and tetrahydronaphthalene are recorded, also the solubility and diffusion constant of N 2 in olive oil, tetralin, oleic acid, and liquid ethyl palmitate. 4. The behaviour of the gases N 2 , H 2 , and 0 2 in lard has been studied. 5. It is shown that H 2 can dissolve in, and diffuse through, stearic acid crystals at 25° C. though not in crystals of o -chloro-nitro-benzene. 6. Crystalline ethyl stearate and palmitate can dissolve CO 2 but not nitrogen. 7. The bearing of some of these results on the movement of dissolved nitrogen in the body is discussed.