Summarized Proceedings and a Directory of Members Volume 12 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1859 edition. Excerpt: ...difficult of decomposition than the other salts of this group, requiring generally one or more repetitions of the evaporation with nitric acid to convert it entirely into nitrate, although a dilute solution yielded with the greatest readiness. This fact was at first explained upon the belief commonly entertained that chlorid of barium is very difficult of solution in nitric acid, a belief founded upon the fact that when a strong solution of this chlorid is added to nitric acid, unless the latter be very dilute, a precipitate appears, which has been supposed to consist of chlorid of barium. Thus H. Rose says: " When to a solution of a salt which is to be examined (for sulphuric acid) chlorohydric or nitric acid has been added, it must still be remarked that upon then adding a concentrated solution of chlorid of barium or nitrate of baryta, a white precipitate of chlorid of barium or nitrate of baryta may appear, because these salts are far less soluble in free acids than in water." As it seemed to me possible, however, that the precipitate produced by chlorid of barium solution in nitric acid might contain some nitrate, I determined to examine it. A quantity of this coarse crystalline precipitate was therefore drained, dried by pressure between folds of paper, and finally heated on the sand-bath until it no longer reddened litmus paper. It then presented the appearance of a fine white powder, which when heated in a glass tube, fused easily to a clear colorless liquid without giving off water. At a higher heat the liquid gave off bubbles of red gas. Its solution in water gave a very strong reaction for nitric acid, and one much less marked for chlorine. 1.0375 gram gave 0.9233 of BaO, SO8, which is equivalent to 1.0347 of pure...