ELISHA MITCHELL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. 83 



These preparations are evidenth^ mixtures also. 



Hermann'- states that the hydrated chloride, gotten in 

 crystals on evaporating- its aqueous solution, becomes 

 opaque at 50° C, g-iving- oif part of the water and half 

 of the h3''drocliloric acid, and leaving- a basic chloride 

 or oxychloride, ZvCU.ZrO,. I8H,0 or ZrOCl2.9H,0. 

 The same compound is obtained in stellate g'roups of 

 white silky prisms on evajDorating- a solution of the 

 chloride. These cr3^stals, when heated, become w^hite 

 and turbid and are converted into the anhydrous dioxy- 

 chloride ZrCl4.2^r02. 



The conditions here are inexact, and thoug-h Hermann 

 may have obtained these compounds, he would find it 

 difficult to prepare them ag-ain. While it is perfectly 

 true that an oxychloride is formed on the evaporation 

 of an aqueous solution of the chloride, I have been 

 unable to obtain the compounds he mentions. Ivinne- 

 mann+ maintains that crystallization from hyhrochloric 

 acid (sp. g"r. 1.17) and treatment with alcohol and 

 ether g-ives a fine, crystalline, snow white, silky bodv, 

 leaving- 50 per cent, of its weig-ht on ig-nition, and there- 

 fore very nearly pure ZrCU which should leave 52.5 per 

 cent. He claims that this is ''chiefl}^ a neutral, not a 

 basic compound." 



My own experiments on the dehydration of this salt 

 have extended over the past two ^ears, as opportunity 

 was afforded. Several series of experiments were un- 

 dertaken; some along- the lines attempted by others, and 

 others b}' methods not tried before. In all the purified 

 chloride, obtained by repeated crystallization from hy- 

 drochloric acid was used, the salt being- still wet with 



"Watts Diet. V. p. 180. 

 fChem. News. LH. 224. 



