40 



OW TBB HYPEtOXtMtJRIATE OF POTASIt. 



tvro acids com 

 ing over, 



oXimiiriate of potash upon the application of heat, by the 

 combined affinity of the unknown base and oximuriaticacid 

 for hidn^gcnbein}^ enabled to overcome, by the aid of heat, 

 the affinity of the oxiijjen for the hidrogen, which neither of' 

 them can etfect separately, 

 Ctomposttion His next observation is, that, as muriate of potash is a 

 fflur'uter^ compound of muriatic acid and potash. " We must now 

 suppose, that, when the oximuriatic acid first enters the 

 solution of potash, part of it attracts from the water of the 

 solution, a portion of hidroj^en ; and, being thus clianged 

 to muriatic acid, combines with the pot'ish to form muriate 

 of potash. The oxigen thus liberated unites to the other 

 portion of the oximuriatic acid and the hyperoximuriate of 

 potash is formed," which, he says, is a direct contradiction 

 to the theory advanced to account for the liberation^f oxi- 

 muriatic acid in the retort, 

 o^lngtothe To account for the formation of the muriate of potash, 

 there can be no occasion to have recourse to the decomposi- 

 tion of the water; for, as murintic acid is extremely volatile, 

 and as the action of the oxide of manganese isnot instanta- 

 neous; it is evident, that part of the muriatic acid will rise 

 and pass over with the oximuriatic acid, particularly in the 

 first stages of the process, and hence we find both the mu- 

 riate and oxi muriate of potash. 

 Decomposi- Mr. Davy, in accounting for the production of \fater 



fimin^ li^^uor ^^'^^'" muriatic acid is parsed over litharge, says, it arises 

 Qf LibiTius. f\-om the superior affinity, which exists between the oxi- 

 muriatic acid and the lead, and the subsequent union of 

 the hidrogen of the one and the oxigen of the other. Next, 

 be accounts for the oxide of tin and muriate of ammouia, 

 obtained by ammonia upon the addition of water to the 

 fuming liquor of Libavius, as owing to the superior affi- 

 nity between the oximuriatic acid and the hidrogen. Now 

 your correspondent justly observes, that, *' in the first place, 

 water is composed because the affinity of oximuriatic acid 

 for a metal is greater than the quiescent affinities, taken to** 

 gether, of oximuriatic acid for hidrogen and the metal for 

 oxigen ; and, in the second, water is decomposed because the 

 affinity of oximuriatic acid for a metal is less than the now 

 .divellent affinities of oximuriatic acid for hidrogen and the 



metal 



