KLISHA MITCHElvL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. 3 



ZrO,, 78.54 per cent.; Na^O, 5.40 per cent.; and HgO, 

 16.89 per cent., corresponding- to Na20.8Zr02. He gets 

 zirconate of ma^'uesitini and calcium by fusing zirconia 

 and silica with magnesium chloride and calcium chloride 

 respectivel}^ 



Ouvrard obtained his zirconates by fusions with the 

 chlorides, also using* those of lithium, calcium, strontium 

 and barium. In some cases, instead of using- zirconia, he 

 took powdered zircons, obtaining- silico-zirconates. 



In our own experiments the following- methods of form- 

 ing- the zirconates were tried: 



I. Fusing- in boron trioxide the zirconia and the basic 

 oxide (Ebelmen). 



II. Fusing- zirconia with alkaline carbonates, (Hiort- 

 dahl). 



III. Fusing- zirconia with alkaline hydroxides. 



IV. Fusing- zirconia with alkaline or earthy chlorides 

 (Hiortdahl). 



V. Precipitation of solutions of zirconium salts with 

 alkaline hydroxides (Watts). 



VI. Dissolving- zirconium h3^drroxide in strong- solu- 

 tions of sodium or potassium hydroxide and precipitation 

 by dilution or by neutralization wnth an acid. 



I. FUvSION WITH BORON TRIOXIDE. 



This method, made use of by Ebelmen in the case of 

 other oxides, is useless in the case of zirconia, because 

 this oxide is not taken up by the boron trioxide, and so 

 does not come in contact with the other oxide. The melt 

 of boron trioxide was kept at a hig'h temperature for a 

 number of hours w^ithout any appreciable solvent action 

 upon the zirconia, added in small portions. 



II. FUSION OF ZIRCONIA WITH ALKALINE CARBONATES. 



The purified zirconia used had been dried at the tem- 

 perature of the steam bath and therefore was not in the 

 inactive condition broug-ht about by igniting it at a very 



