414 On sorne Jietv Etecti'dchemicdt Researches 



thollet concludes, that 100 parts of potash, that have be^fl 

 kept for some time in fusion, contain 13*89 parts of watcr^ 

 which is lost when the alkali enters into combination with 

 muriatic acid; and the same sagacious observer, from some 

 very minute experiments, infers, that jnuriate of potash^ 

 which has been ignited, contains in the 100 parts 6669 

 potash, and 33-34 muriatic acid, a determination which 

 diflfers very little from that of Bucholz. 



To determine the relation of the dryness of the potash, 

 formed from potassiiim, to that which has been considerei 

 as freed from the whole or the greatest part of its water, in 

 muriate of potash, I made several experiments. I first at- 

 tempted to convert a certain quantity of potassiurrt into 

 J)otash, upon the surface of liquid muriatic acid ; but in 

 this case the heat was so intense, and hydrogen holding 

 potassium in solution was disengaged with so much ra- 

 pidity, that there was a considerable loss of alkali ; yet 

 even under these circumstances, I obtained from ten parts 

 of potassium 17*5 of dry muriate of potash. The most 

 successful and the only mode which I employed, that can 

 be entirely depended upon, was that of converting potas- 

 sium into muriate of potash, in muriatic acid gas. I shall 

 give the results of two experiments made in this manner: 

 Sve grains of potassium inserted in a tray of platina, were 

 made to act upon 19 cubical inches of muriatic acid gas> 

 that had been exposed to muriate of lime; by the appli- 

 cation of a gentle heat, the potassium took fire, and burnt 

 with a beautiful red light*; and the whole mass appeared 

 in igneous fusion ; a little muriate of potash in the state of 

 awhile powder, sublimed and collected in the top of th«? 

 vessel in which the experiment was made. Nearly 14 

 cubical inches of muriatic acid gas were absorbed, and 

 about five of hydrogen were produced. The increase of 

 weight of the tray was about 4*5 grains; and it did not 

 lose any weight. by being ignited. 



The second experiment was conducted with still more 

 attention to minuteness. Eight grains of potassium were 

 employed ; above 22 cubical inches of muriatic acid gas 

 were consumed ; the potassium burnt with the same bril- 

 liant phsenomena as in the last experiment, and the in- 

 crease of weight of the tray was 6\ grains. The muriate 

 of potash was kept for some minutes in fusion in the tray^ 



* As a retort exhausted of common air was used, the small qunntity of 

 residual common air may have been connected with this vividness of com- 

 bustion, 

 . . till 



