148 REPORTS ON INVESTIGATIONS AND PROJECTS. 



ON THE CONDUCT OF PURE THORIUM COMPOUNDS WITH CERTAIN 



SULPHONIC ACID SALTS. 



Charles Baskerviu^e with Mony de Majo. 



Nieszytka* has prepared naphthaline sulphonic salts of cerium. 

 Organic reagents have been used successfully in separating certain 

 of the metallic elements, for example, nitroso-/j-naphthol has been 

 used for iron and cobalt and chromotropic acid for the detection of 

 titanium. 



The conduct of pure thorium compounds with the sodium salts of 

 naphthaline and benzol sulphonic acids demanded attention. Two 

 apparently distinct fractions were had when soluble pure thorium 

 nitrate solutions were precipitated with sodium naphthaline sul- 

 phonate. One of the portions gave a distinctly gelatinous precipitate, 

 while from the filtrate there was separated by evaporation excellent 

 crystals. The precipitate on treatment with an excess of the sul- 

 phonated salt did not go into solution. On analysis, after drying 

 under similar circumstances, the two extremes gave 30 per cent, then 

 27.3 percent, and the other fraction gave 43.5 per cent residue after 

 ncineration. 



On the reconversion of these fractions into the nitrates, the process 

 was repeated several times. After the third treatment that portion 

 which was readily precipitated came down in a very bulky gelatinous 

 mass, while the soluble portion was not precipitated at all. The vari- 

 ations in these reactions were not seriously affected by dilution or heat. 

 Not only was a distinct separation thus obtained, but in the course 

 of the purification of the extremes one gave a black body on ignition. 

 When treated with sulphuric acid it became white, but turned dark 

 as soon as water was added. It corresponded in its reactions with 

 none of the known chemical elements except thorium, and differed 

 from it materially in a number of ways. We are preparing more of 

 the material by the same process, which is most time-consuming, 

 three months being required for the separation reported. 



The conduct with benzol-sulphonic salts was quite similar. 



* Inaugural Dissertation, Friederichs Universiiiits, Halle, Wittenburg. 



