COUMARONES or BENZOFURFURANES, a colourless liquid which boils at 171-172° C, and is readily volatile in steam, but is insoluble in water and in potash solution. It occurs in the frac tion, boiling point 16o-200° C, of coal tar and is converted by sulphuric acid into coumarone resin (see RESINS, SYNTHETIC). Coumarone, is obtained by distilling coumarilic acid with lime, this acid being prepared from bromocoumarin by the action of alcoholic potash.
Benzofurfuranes is the name given to the general class of organic CH compounds containing the ring system /CH. This ring O system may be synthesized in several ways, as above or from sodium salts of phenols and a-chloroacetoacetic ester, gr. "alpha" a.