EI^ISHA MiTCHElvIv SCIE:NTIE'IC SOCIE^TY. 7 



made for the imperfect method of separation of the zir- 

 conate from the tinchang-ed zircotiia, some of the former 

 beino- taken up by prolong-ed dig-estion with hydrochloric 

 acid. There is a marked tendency, however, toward the 

 formation of certain zirconates under approximately the 

 same conditions. Two of the experiments with sodium 

 carbonate give results fairly in accordance with the for- 

 mula (Na20)o(Zr02)3. In the fusion with sodium hydroxide 

 Hhe results rang-e from (Na^O) (ZrO)., [ZrO^ =-90.76: Na,0 

 =9.24], to (Na^O) (ZrO)« [ZrO2=94.08; Na20=5.92], and 

 it is with these that the analysis of Hiortdahl ag'rees, 

 thoug-h his was a fusion w^ith sodium carbonate. Why 

 there should be this difference is not clear. The tenden- 

 cy is manifestly toward the formation of what may be 

 called the polyzirconates, having- a considerable excess of 

 zirconic acid. In the case of potassium the carbonate 

 failed to give a compound. The hydroxide gives results 

 ranging from 



(K.P)(Zr0.3),[Zr02=79.57; 1^^0=20.43], to (ZrO.XCK^O), 

 [ZvO.^ = 8G.74-; K20= 13.26]; again polyzirconates with ex- 

 cess of zirconia. 



Other -fusions were carried out with sodium and potas- 

 sium hydroxides, and the resulting masses were leached 

 with dilute acetic acid, a solvent which had to be used in 

 leaching' away the alkaline earths in the subsequent ex- 

 periments. In the case of sodium the leaching removed 

 practically all of the alkali. In the case of potassium a 

 substance containing ZrOg, 78.59 per cent., and K^O, 21.41 

 per cent, was left. This nearly corresponds to the form- 

 ula K20.(Zr02)a. It is almost exactly the result gotten 

 in one of the previous experiments. 



3. Lithium gave no zirconate when the carbonate was 

 used for the fusion. With the hydroxide it gave the fol- 

 lowing results: 



Two grams ZrOg were fused with excess of lithium hy- 

 droxide, leached with dilute acetic acid and with water. 

 This gave on analysis ZrOg, 89.11 per cent.;Li20, 10.99 



