220 Litelligencc and Miscellaneous Articles, 



ON SOME NEW COMPOUNDS OF CHLORINE. BY MONS. H. ROSE, 



Hitherto the composition of the volatile compounds of chlorine 

 has been determined by means of the known composition of the ox- 

 ide or oxacid, formed by the decomposition of water, at the same 

 time as hydrochloric acid. Since, however, the discovery of chro- 



mate of chloride of chromium, (2 Cr + Cr Cl^)*itis no longer pos- 

 sible to apply the same mode of determination to the composition of 

 all the volatile compounds of chlorine, and it became necessary to 

 submit to a quantitative analysis such of these combinations, in the 

 formation of which a substance containing oxygen was employed. 

 M. Rose, proceeding on this principle, has discovered that the two 

 bodies which are formed by the reaction of chlorine gas upon the 

 oxides of tungsten and molybdena, the chloride of tungsten and the 

 chloride of molybdena, possess a composition analogous to the chro- 

 mate of chloride of chromium. As they are converted into hydro- 

 chloric acid, and tungstic or molybdic acid, when treated with water, 

 it was supposed that their composition was analogous to that of the 

 two last acids. In fact, during the preparation of chloride of tung- 

 sten there is obtained, besides the chloride, another more volatSe 

 chloride corresponding to the oxide of the same metal, and also a 

 tungstic acid which is not volatile. The same products, formed by 

 the decomposition of the chloride, appear when it is suddenly exposed 

 to a strong heat. Thus, it is not entirely composed of tungsten and 

 chlorine, but must contain oxygen ; the volatile compound cannot, 

 however, be obtained perfectly free from excess of tungstic acid, 

 which mixes with it during its formation. The same happens with 

 hyperchloride of molybdena as with chloride of tungsten ; their com- 

 position may therefore be represented by 2 W + W Cl^ and by Mo 

 C13. 



The chromate of chloride of chromium, above described, is the 

 result of the reaction of chromate of potash, chloride of sodium, and 

 sulphuric acid. If, instead of employing chloride of sodium, bromide 

 of sodium or potassium be substituted for it, bromine is obtained 

 quite free from chromium. This difference of reaction admits of the 

 detection of slight traces of a metallic chloride in large quantities of 

 metallic bromides, which would otherwise be extremely difficult. If 

 bromide of potassium or sodium be submitted to distillation with 

 chromate of potash and sulphuric acid, and if the product of the dis- 

 tillation be received in ammonia, no trace of chromium will be found 

 in it, if the salt was quite free from chloride of potassium or sodium. 

 — Journal de Chimie Medicale, December 1837. 



NEW ACID FORMED BY THE COMBUSTION OF ALCOHOL 

 AROUND AN INCANDESCENT TLATINA WIRE. 



M. Leroy states that this acid is liquid, and of a consistence similar 

 to that of the oil of sweet almonds or olives, and that it is perfectly 

 limpid. It is greasy and unctuous to the touch ; it spots paper like. 



• See Mr. Walter's paper, p. 83 of our last number. 



