Boron and Silicon with Nitrogen. 21 S 



nitrogen and boron are united, and that the compound so 

 formed is combined by a very strong affinity with potassium. 

 My inability to obtain a better balance than such as I could 

 construct myself of wood and paper, or suitable apparatus for 

 an analysis, prevents me from speaking at all positively as to 

 the proportion of the elements ; but some analyses and decom- 

 positions seem to point out the proportion K 3 N 3 B 2 as the 

 correct one, from which it would appear that during its pre- 

 paration there is no loss either of potassium or of nitrogen; 

 nothing passing off but carbonic oxide : 



(2 B O a and 3 (N C 2 + K) = N 3 B 2 K 3 and 6 C O). 



This theory very nearly agrees with several estimations of 

 the quantity of ammonia and boracic acid found when the 

 compound is decomposed by the hydrates of lime and potass, 

 and is corroborated by there being no gas but ammonia dis- 

 engaged, and no boron deposited during the decomposition : 



(N 3 B 2 K 3 and 9 H O = 2 B O s + 3 K O and 3 N H 3 ). 



However, it may be that there are only two atoms of potas- 

 sium, since the compound can only be obtained at such a tem- 

 perature as would volatilize potassium ; from which it would 

 appear that potassium was set free during its formation ; and 

 moreover, during the decomposition by hydrate of potass or 

 lime, a new compound is formed which may' possibly contain 

 the original compound with oxygen, being somewhat analo- 

 gous to cyanate of potass, in which case the oxygen, set free 

 from the hydrogen which has to form ammonia, might be 

 theoretically disposed of without the supposition that there 

 are three atoms of potassium (N 3 B 2 K 2 and 9 H O = 2 B 3 

 + 2 KO and 3 N H 3 and O, which would go to undecomposed 

 substance); but at the same time, this new compound may 

 contain oxygen and have derived it, not from the decomposed 

 water, but from the air in the vessel. It is formed when the 

 "boronitruret of potassium" is fused with potass, and an excess 

 of acid added to the solution of the result ; at first it appears 

 as a milkiness in the liquid, but by continued ebullition, col- 

 lects into a distinct precipitate,which when dry is a remarkably 

 coherent thready solid. 



When heated before the blowpipe it gives a strong green 

 flame without melting ; it yields ammonia abundantly with hy- 

 drate of lime and carbonate of potass (a mixture which I used 

 instead of hydrate of potass), and in other respects behaves 

 like the " boronitruret of potassium," excepting that it yields 

 no phosphorescence, and when slowly oxidized forms a very 

 fusible bead, which during its oxidation throws out small ve- 

 sicles owing to the escape of gas. The substance operated 



Phil. Mae. S. 3. Vol. 2 1 . No. 1 38. Oct. 184-2. T * 



