182 EXi*LOIIVE COMPOUND OF CHLORINE AND AZOTE. 



formed. In one experiment we heated the solution to 180', 

 and observed, in ten minutes after, when about half the gas 

 Beautiful eft was absorbed, and the temperature had lowered to 125°, that 

 t at 1^5 (ne rece j ver above the fluid was covered with the explosive 

 compound, which trickled down to the surface of the solution 

 in minute globules, which converged from all parts of the cir- 

 cumference of the circle forming the surface of the solution 

 to the centre of that circle where they accumulated into larger 

 globules. This phenomenon, which had a very beautiful ap- 

 pearance, seemed to us to be owing to a distillation of the 

 compound from the central or hottest part, and a condensation 

 which ceased at the exterior or coldest part of the receiver. This distillation 

 at iioUe-j. ceased when the temperature had lowered to 1 10°, anu^the ex- 

 plosive compound then formed a film on the surface of the 

 solution. 



The phenomena attending the formation of the compound, 

 are the following : 

 Phenomena of As soon as the receiver of chlorine gas is placed in the so- 

 ofMhe'eom- " ^ utlon °f tne ammoniacal salt, an absorption of the gas com- 

 pound, mences, and the solution rises slowly in the receiver. An ac- 

 tion is apparent on the surface of the solution, which resembles 

 small filaments reaching to the'depth of about one-tenth of an 

 inch. These filaments, on close inspection, appear to be com- 

 posed of extremely minute bubbles of gas, ranged in a line 

 Absorption of one above another to the surface. When about one-fourth of 



e^the^ou'- 11 l * ie gas has ^ lsn PP eared > some or ~ tne explosive compound may 

 pound seen generally be observed on the surface of the solution in a thin 

 after one- flj m t j ie sur f ace tnen looks oily, and appears divided, so as to 

 fourth of .cas . ', . . ,,...,■ 



has been ab- give the idea of a map. As the solution rises in the receiver, 



sorbed. the quantity of the explosive compound increases ; and it then 



Globules of collects into one or two flattened globules, which when they 



which p nt-T r^ beccfcftfe very bulky, fall through the solution to the bottom. 



and sink. The whole of the gas is absorbed. The solution, after the 



formation of the compound, contains free muriatic acid, and 



also some of the compound in solution, if we may judge from 



its smell and yellow colour. We are not aware, that there are 



any other appearances during the formation of the compound, 



which are material to notice. 



Theory. The following appears, from our experiments, to be the 



theory of the formation of the explosive compound. 



When 



