mos. (J. Dewar, _Chem. News_, 1885, 51, p. 27). It
solidifies at about -116 deg.C., and liquefies again at about -110
deg.C. (K. Olszewski, _Jahresb._, 1883, p. 75). It is a mono-molecular
liquid (W. Ramsay and J. Shields, _Jour. Chem. Soc._, 1893, 63, p.
1089). It is very volatile, the vapour being heavy and very inflammable.
It burns with a pale blue flame to form carbon dioxide and sulphur
dioxide. It is almost insoluble in water, but mixes in all proportions
with absolute alcohol, ether, benzene and various oils. It is a good
solvent for sulphur, phosphorus, wax, iodine, &c. It dissociates when
heated to a sufficiently high temperature. A mixture of carbon
bisulphide vapour and nitric oxide burns with a very intense
blue-coloured flame, which is very rich in the violet or actinic rays.
When heated with water in a sealed tube to 150 deg. C. it yields carbon
dioxide and sulphuretted hydrogen. Zinc and hydrochloric acid reduce it
to tri-thioformaldehyde (CH2S)3 (A. Girard, _Comptes rendus_, 1856, 43,
p. 396). When passed through a red-hot tube with chlorine it yields
carbon tetrachloride and sulphur chloride (H. Kolbe). Potassium, when
heated, burns in the vapour of carbon bisulphide, forming potassium
sulphide and liberating carbon. In contact with chlorine monoxide it
forms carbonyl chloride and thionyl chloride (P. Schutzenberger, _Ber._,
1869, 2, p. 219). When passed with carbon dioxide through a red-hot tube
it yields carbon oxysulphide, COS (C. Winkler), and when passed over
sodamide it yields ammonium thiocyanate. A mixture of carbon bisulphide
vapour and sulphuretted hydrogen, when passed over heated copper, gives,
amongst other products, some methane.

Carbon bisulphide slowly oxidizes on exposure to air, but by the
action of potassium permanganate or chromic acid it is readily
oxidized to carbon dioxide and sulphuric acid. By the action of
aqueous alkalis, carbon bisulphide is converted into a mixture of an
alkaline carbonate and an alkaline thiocarbonate (J. Berzelius,
_Pogg. Ann._, 1825, 6, p. 444), 6KHO + 3CS2 = K2CO3 + 2K2CS3 + 3H2O;
on the other hand, an alcoholic solution of a caustic alkali converts
it into a xanthate (A. Vogel, _Jahresb._, 1853, p. 643),

CS2 + KHO + R.OH = H2O + RO.CS.SK.

Aqueous and alcoholic solutions of ammonia convert carbon bisulphide
into ammonium dithiocarbamate, which readily breaks down into ammonium
thiocyanate and sulphuretted hydrogen (A.W. Ho