60 AMALGAM PRODUCED FROM AMMONIA. 



both the basis of ammonia, and potassium, and hence hidro- 



gen is evolved, and volatile alkali produced* 



S^wo?*" I distilled an amalgam procured by potassium from am* 



naphtha. monia, in a tube filled with the vapour of naphtha, and 



hermetically sealed, in the same manner as in the experi-. 



ments for obtaining the metals of the earths, but in this 



thing con- case I procured ammonia, hidrogen, and nitrogen only, and 



focedbat P lire mercury; and the residuum was 1 potassium, which 



mercury, acted powerfully on the glass tube. 



even when ^ another experiment of the same kind, I kept one part of 



cooled by ice. the tube cool by ice, at the same time the other part was 

 strongly heated, but nothing condensible except mercury 

 was produced, and the elastic products were the san>3 as in, 

 the former instance, 

 Ammonia in J endeavoured to procure an amalgam from ammonia, to 

 would not ga * wn i cn no moisture could be supposed to adhere, by heating 

 amalgamate, an amalgam of potassium in arnmoniacal gas. The amal- 

 gam 'became covered with a film of potash, but it did not 

 enlarge in its dimensions, and a considerable quantity of 

 nonabsorbable gas, which was found to consist of five parts 

 of hidrogen, and one of nitrogen, was produced. The 

 amalgam after this operation did not emit ammonia by ex- 

 posure to air, hence it seems probable, that for the deoxi- 

 genation of ammonia, and the combination of its basis with 

 mercury, the alkali must be in the nascent state, or at least 

 in that condensed form in which it exists in arnmoniacal 

 salts, or solutions. 



VI. Some Considerations of general Theory, connected with 

 Vie Metallization of the Alkalis and the Earths, 



j» ro p«rties of The more the properties of the amalgam obtained from 



the amalgam ammonia are considered, the more extraordinary do they ap- 

 from ammonia 

 extraordinary, pear. 



Mercury by combination with about tt Stb- V art °? i ta 

 weight of new matter is rendered a solid, yet has its specific 

 gravity diminished from 13*5 to less than 3, and it retains 

 all its metallic characters; its colour, lustre, opacity, and 

 conducting powers remaining unimpaired. 



It is scarcely possible to conceive, that a substance, which 

 forms with mercury so perfect an amalgam, should not be 



metallic 



