I'SS' On pure Nickel. ■ 



salt of nickel free from iron, and as much so as possible 

 from c::balt; hut the precipitate was still visiblv of a 

 greenish bhie colour. IJaving edulcorated it and licated it 

 to redness, it parted with its carbonic acid, and cl)aiiged its 

 colour to a blackish gray, which, however, inclined evidently 

 to a green. The water emploved in waihuia; it, which had 

 a greenish appearance, was evaporated to dryness, and the 

 residuum, atter being hi-ated red hot, w^s washed again. 

 A green powder remained, which did not lose its colour 

 in the fire, and consisted chiefiy of arseniate of nickel. 



Each of the two residuums were separately mixed with 

 a fifth part of charcoal, and, in a cupel with a httle porcelain 

 fflaze, exposed to the heat of a potter's furnace for eighteen 

 hours. Each result endured a few blows of a hammer 

 without cracking; but that of the latter residuum was 

 ■much more white and fragile than that of the former, 

 the colour of which approached that of steel, and wns 

 slightlv reddish. They were both attacked with avidity 

 hv nitric acid, and they were attracted by the magnet, l)ut 

 tile former onlv weaklv. 



As it appeared lo me probable from soitic of its cflccts 

 on porcelain that pure nickel was a noble metal,! dissolved 

 attain, in nitric acid, the whole quantity reduced, which 

 amounted to several ounces, and. evaporated the solution 

 to dryness. 1 then poured water on the saline mass, and 

 a beautiful green solution was formed ; but a greenish white 

 residuum remained, in which I easily detected the presence 

 of iron, nickel, and arsenic acid. 



This solution, which contained a considerable portion of 

 copper, besides arsenic, was precipitated bv carbonate of 

 potash, and the residuum, the colour of which was still 

 very lively, though not so green as that of carbonate of 

 copper, was well washed and exposed to a white heat. 

 This changed its apple-green colour to a deep green inclining 

 to gray and brown. With a stronger heat the mass assumed 

 a grayer brown, and at the same time appeared to coagulate. 

 There were likewise portions of reduced metal in it, that 

 could not be mistaken. — I could not, however, accomplish 

 its fusion in a wind-furnace surmounted with a cupellating 

 furnace dome, and having a long chimney. In conse- 

 quence, I divided it into several portions, which J exposed 

 in crucibles to the strongest heat of a potter's furnace, in 

 which capsules of the most refractory clay are frequently 

 softened. 

 In such crucibles as were placed where the porcelain re- 

 quires 



