Aldehyde

Aldehyde, a product of the oxidation of ordinary alcohol, may be obtained by distilling alcohol in a retort with bichromate of potassium. It forms a colourless, volatile liquid which is readily miscible with water, and is an excellent solvent for such substances as iodine, sulphur, and phosphorus. Easily oxidised, even by atmospheric exposure, to acetic acid. As in the case of alcohol, the term Aldehyde is now used, in a general sense, to signify any substance which is derived from a primary alcohol by the removal of two atoms of hydrogen from the molecule.