4o6 On some neiv Electrochemical Researches 



to act upon ammonia in a vessel of platina, and afterwards 

 distilled in contact with platina, there were always from 

 four to six grains of this powder formed ; but I have adr 

 vanccd no further in determining its nature, than in as- 

 certaining, that it is platina combined with a minute 

 quantity of matter, which affords water by combustion iia 

 oxygen. 



In the processes on the action of potassium and ammo- 

 nia, in which iron tubes were used, as appears from the 

 experiments detailed in the last Bakerian lecture, and the 

 appendix, there is always a loss of nitrogen, a conversion 

 of a portion oF potassium into potash, and a production of 

 hydrogen. When copper tubes are employed, the hydro- 

 gen bears a smaller proportion to the nitrogen 3 ^nd more 

 potassium is revived. 



In these experiments, in which platina has been used, 

 there is little or no loss of potassium or nitrogen 5 but ^ 

 loss smaller or greater of hydrogen. 



It will be asked. On what do these circumstances de- 

 pend ? Does the affinity of certain metals for potassium 

 prevent it from gaining oxygen from ammonia, and do 

 platina and copper combine with a small quantity of hy- 

 drogen, or its basis ? Or are there some sources of inac- 

 curacy in those processes, in which nitrogen has appeared 

 to be decomposed ? The discussion of these difficult pro- 

 blems will be considered in that part of this lecture, in 

 which the nature of ammonia will be illustrated by some 

 new experiments. The object of the present part of the 

 inquiry is the demonstration of a part of chemical doctrine, 

 no less important and fundamental fo a great mass of rea- 

 soning, namely, that by the operation of potassium upon 

 ammonia, it is not a metallic body that is decompounded 

 but the volatile alkali, and that the hydrogen produced does 

 not arise from the potassium, as is asserted by the French 

 chemists, but from the ammonia, as I have always sup- 

 posed ', the potassium in the most refined experiments is 

 recovered, but neither the ammonia nor its elements can 

 be reproduced, except by introducing a new body, which 

 contains oxygen and hydrogen. 



I have niade an experiment upon the action of sodium 

 on ammonia, with the same precautions as in the experi- 

 ments just detailed, a tray, and the same tube of platina 

 being employed. 



3-_3_. grains of sodium I found absorbed 9*1 of ammonia, 

 and produced about 4'3 of hydrogen, and the fusible sub- 

 stance, which was very similar to that froni potassium, 



distilled. 



