New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 131 



The precipitate was just dissolved in dilute hydrochloric acid and 

 the solution precipitated with copper acetate. The bluish-green 

 colored copper-compound was filtered off, washed with water until 

 free from chlorides and then in alcohol and dried in vacuum over 

 sulphuric acid. 



The dry substance was a light blue amorphous powder. It is 

 very slightly soluble in water or in very dilute acids, readily soluble 

 in the ordinary dilute mineral acids. It is readily soluble in 2.5 

 per ct. ammonia with a deep blue color. In this solution con- 

 centrated ammonia or alcohol produces a light-blue colored pre- 

 cipitate. 



The compound represents a nearly pure tetra-cupric di-calcium 

 phytate. It contained 0.17 per ct. N. 



For C6Hi209(P03Cu)4- (P03Ca)2 = 1036. 

 Calculated Cu 24.51 per ct., Ca 7.72 per ct., P 17.95 per ct. 

 Found Cu 25.58 per ct., Ca 7.69 per ct., P 16.85 per ct. 



If a slightly acid solution of magnesium ammonium phytate is 

 precipitated with copper acetate a light blue colored copper compound 

 is obtained. After washing and drying it gave the following result 

 on analysis: 



Mg 1.11 per ct., Cu 34.27 per ct., N 0.64 per ct., and 0.52 per ct., 

 P 15.66 per ct. 



This compound is exceedingly soluble in dilute and concentrated 

 ammonia. By the careful addition of alcohol to the ammoniacal 

 solution a substance separates in light blue colored crystals on 

 standing. This is evidently a complex copper-ammonium salt but 

 it was not further examined. 



phytic acid. 



This was prepared after the method of Patten and Hart (loc. cit.). 

 The analyzed tri-barium salt was decomposed with the calculated 

 quantity of deci-normal sulphuric acid. After removing the barium 

 sulphate, the solution was precipitated with copper acetate. The 

 copper compound was decomposed with hydrogen sulphide, the 

 copper sulphide filtered off, the filtrate concentrated in vacuum and 

 finally dried in vacuum over sulphuric acid. The products obtained 

 from both the calcium phytate and the magnesium compound 

 were light amber-colored, very thick liquids and corresponded in 

 all respects with the body described by other investigators as phytic 

 acid. 



For analysis the substance was dried at 130° C. 



a. From calcium phytate. 



0.3193 gm. substance gave 0.0917 gm. H2O and 0.1238 gm. CO2. 

 0.1505 gm. " « 0.1424 gm. MgaPzOy. 



b. From the magnesium compound. 



0.2789 gm. substance gave 0.0804 gm. H2O and 0.1101 gm. CO2. 

 0.1236 gm. « " 0.1160 gm.Mg2P207. 



