20 JOURNAL OF THE 



TREx\TMENT OF ZIRCONS IN PREPARING 

 PURE ZIRCONIUM OXYCHLORIDE. 



BY F. P. VENABLR. 



Linneniaiin (Sitz. Ber. Kais. Akad. d. Wissens. , Vol. II, 

 1885, translated in London Chemical News, LII, 233 and 

 240) has pnblished an acconnt of the "Treatment and 

 Qualitative Composition of Zircons." All previous methods 

 of breaking up the zircon and purifying the zirconia have 

 presented numerous difficulties and proved decidedly un- 

 satisfactory. 



Having occasion to prepare some of the compounds of 

 zirconium in considerable quantity and of chemical purity 

 I adopted the methods of Linnemann. In the course of my 

 work I have found it advisable to modify the process in 

 several respects, and I make this publication in order that 

 my experience may be available, and perhaps serviceable, 

 to others. 



In the first place, I have found the mechanical prepara- 

 tion can be simplified. I have used North Carolina zircons 

 and have found it sufficient to pulverize them roughly in 

 an iron mortar and then grrind in an agnate mortar until the 

 powder passed through a 100 mesh sieve. The preliminary 

 exposure during ten days to vapor of hydrofluoric acid and 

 the grinding until the powder passed a silk sieve seemed 

 both unnecessary. The fine powder was repeatedly boiled 

 with strong hydrochloric acid and washed with water. 

 Five hundred grams treated in this way lost seventeen 

 grams, the hydrochloric acid thus dissolving 3.40 per cent, 

 of the whole. The fusions were made in nickel crucibles, 

 which are very much cheaper and less attacked than the 

 silver recommended by Einnemann. The loss comes chiefly 



