OF THE METALLIC CARBIDES. 29 



YTTRIUM AND CARBON. 



Pettersson first made this carbide, YC2. It has a specific gravity of 

 4.13. This carbide is golden yellow on a fresh fracture, but remains so 

 only a short while, as the moisture of the air attacks it. The halogens 

 act upon it in the cold. Readily attacked by acids. Burns in oxygen 

 and in the vapors of sulphur and selenium. In making YC2 in the electric 

 furnace more heat is required than is necessary in the preparation of ce- 

 rium carbide. A current of 900 amp. and 50 volts effects the reduction 

 in about six minutes. Vapors of the metal are given off during the opera- 

 tion. Water decomposes it readily, yielding the following gases : — 

 C2H2 (71. 7%), CH, (19%), QH, (4.8%), H2 (4.5%). 



LITERATURE. 



O. Pettersson. Kohlenstoffbindungen von den Metallen der seltenen Erden. Ber. 



d. Chem. Ges. 28, p. 2419, or Bull. Soc. Chim. (1896) [3] 15, p. loi, or Chem. 



Centrbl. (1895) 66, pt. 2, p. 960, or Abs. J. Chem. Soc. (1S96) 70, pt. 2, p. 25. 

 MoisSAN at Etard. Sur les carbures d'yttrium et de thorium. Bull. Soc. Chim. 



(1896) [3] 16, p. 1271, or C. R. 122, p. 573, or Abs. J. Chem. Soc. (1896) 70, pt. 



2, p. 422. 



ZINC AND CARBON (?) 



A compound of zinc and carbon is of doubtful existence although men- 

 tioned in old books on chemistry. 



LITERATURE. 



Berzelius (and Gmelin-Kraut), 6th ed. 3, 2, 1 1. 



Gmelin. Handbook of Chemistry (Watt's translation) (1849), ^> V- ^Z- 



Brown. J. prakt. Chem. (1839) 17, p. 492. 



ZIRCONIUM AND CARBON. 



ZrC is produced by heating for ten minutes anhydrous ZrO and 

 sugar-carbon. A current of 1000 amp. and 50 volts was used by Moissan. 

 Gray metallic appearance, scratches quartz, not decomposed by damp air 

 at 100°. In this it differs from the thorium compound. Burns brilliantly 

 in oxygen at a dull red heat. ZrC2 is also known (Troost). 



LITERATURE. 



Berzelius. Kohlenstoffzirconium. Fogg. Ann. der Phys. (1825) 4, p. 123. 



Gmelin. (Watt's trans., 1849.) Handbook of Chemistry, III, p. 343. 



Troost. (ZrC2) Sur la preparation du zirconium et du thorium. C. R. 116, p. 1227, 



or Abs. J. Chem. Soc. (1893) 64, pt. 2, p. 473. 

 Moissan. Sur la volatilization de la silice et de la zircone et sur la reduction de ses 



composes par le charbon. C. R. 116, p. 1222, or Abs. J. Chem. Soc. (1893) ^4. pt. 



2, p. 532, or Bull. Soc. Chim. [3] 11, p. 863. 

 Moissan and Lengfeld. Sur un nouveau carbure de zirconium. C. R. 122, p. 651, 



or Chem. Centrbl. (1896) 67, pt. i, p. 887, or Abs. J. Chem. Soc. (1896) 70, pt. 2, 



p. 428, or Bull. Soc. Chim. (1896) [3] 16, p. 1275. 



