344 ON TWO NEW CRYSTALLINE COMPOUNDS 



well-known metallic radicals of Organic Chemistry, it was naturally inferred that it 

 would be easy to prepare from it a large number of compounds ; but although the first 

 qualitative experiments seemed to verify this assumption, it afterwards proved to be 

 unfounded. The first action of chemical agents on SbZuj is similar to their action on 

 the simple metals, but before the reaction is terminated and a definite compound 

 formed, the radical is decomposed, and compounds of the separate elements alone re- 

 sult. Thus, when the powdered SbZuj is boiled with water, the first efi"ect, as is suffi- 

 ciently evident from the above experiments, is a direct oxidation of the alloy ; before, 

 however, the whole is oxidized, a grayish-white powder is formed, from which hydro- 

 chloric acid dissolves a large amount of oxide of zinc, and a very small amount of oxide 

 of antimony.* The instability of this singular substance will also appear from the fol- 

 lowing experiments. 



1st. Exposed to the action of chlorine gas, powdered SbZnj inflamed, and a mixture 

 of the chlorides of zinc and antimony was formed. 



2d. A solution of iodine in strong but not absolute alcohol converted the same 

 powder into a yellow substance, which proved to be an oxyiodide of antimony, and 

 into iodide of zinc, which was found in solution. 



3d. Bromme dissolved in alcohol formed, with the powder, bromide of zinc, which 

 dissolved, and oxide of zinc, which is insoluble. The small amount of water which the 

 strong alcohol contained was, as is evident, essential to these reactions, and on using 

 solutions of iodine and bromine in absolute alcohol, little or no change could be ob- 

 served. 



4th. Dry oxygen was passed over a weighed portion of finely powdered SbZuj con- 

 tained in a glass bulb, which was gently heated with a spirit lamp. When the tem- 

 perature was yet much below ignition, the mass suddenly glowed throughout like 

 tinder, and changed into a white powder, which the increased weight proved to be a 

 mixture of ZnO, SbOg, and Sb04. 



Weight of powdered SbZng, 0.4647 



" " oxygen absorbed, ...... 0.1235 



" oxygen required to form 3 ZnO + i SbO^ + i SbOg, 0.1231 



* Dr. A. A. Hayes, of Boston, has had the kindness to submit some crystals of SbZns to his new process 

 of analysis by electrolysis, thinking that under the influence of a feeble galvanic current they might act as a 

 radical. He found that at first they seemed to act in this way, both the zinc and antimony entering into 

 solution; but that, before the process was finished, decomposition ensued, after which the zinc only dis- 

 solved. 



