1835.] Improvements in Science. 187 



Cold water dissolves very little melamine, but hot water 

 readily dissolves it. Melamine combines with all the acids, 

 and forms very characteristic salts. When heated with a 

 solution of sal-ammoniac it gives out ammonia, and com- 

 bines with muriatic acid. The sulphates and nitrates of 

 copper, the salts of zinc, iron, manganese, are decomposed 

 by a solution of melamine in water, and the oxides are 

 precipitated. Fused with potash, cyanate of potash is 

 produced ; if it is in excess, mellonuret of potassium is 

 formed. Liebig found the composition of melamine to be 



Carbon . . . 28*460 

 Azote .... 66-673 

 Hydrogen . . 4*865 



100-000 

 Melamine, heated with nitric and sulphuric acids, yields 

 ammonia, and a substance which remains dissolved in the 

 acid, and is identical with the product of the action of con- 

 centrated acids upon melam. 



Melamine has a strong affinity for sulphuric acid. The 

 formation of needle formed crystals is the result of their 

 combination, which are scarcely soluble in cold but easily 

 soluble in hot water. 



Nitrate of Melamine is readily formed by adding nitric 

 acid to a cold solution of melamine in water, until the 

 liquid be strongly acid. It is in the form of long needles. 

 By combustion this salt gives carbonic acid and azote, in 

 the proportion of 6 to 7. 



When a solution of melamine is added to nitrate of silver 

 a white crystalline precipitation ensues, which consists of 

 1 atom melamine . . . 16* 

 1 ,, nitric acid ... 6*75 

 1 ,1 oxide of silver . . 14-75 



37-5 



Oxalate of melamine is less soluble in water than the 

 nitrate. It affords, by analysis, carbonic and azote in the 

 proportions of 8 to 6, and obviously consists of 



1 atom melamine . . . 16* 

 1 ,, oxalic acid . . . 4*5 

 1 ,, water .... 1*125 



21*625 



