THE 



PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZIXE. 



FEBRVARY 1800. 



I. A new and expeditious Procefs for rendering Platlnc 

 malleiibh. By Mr, Richard Knight, Member of 

 the Brhijh Mhieralogical Society. Co7n7rmnicated hy the 

 Author. 



X H E manv peculiar advantages which platina in a mal- 

 leable iiate pofll'lfes over every other metal for the fabrica- 

 tion of a variety of inflriiments and utenfils particularly ufeful 

 for the purpofes of chemiftry, together with the extreme 

 difficultv of procuring; it, being hitherto only to be obtained 

 from I'ari:?!, of a very indifferent quality, and at a price equal 

 to that of gold, firft induced me to turn my attention to the 

 fubjt6t. After having repeated a variety of experiments, 

 from the diflbrent writers on this fubftance, without effeft, 

 I at length completed a procefs, the fuccefs of which has 

 fully anfwercd my expeftalions. By the procefs which I 

 follow I am able to reduce any quantity of crude platina to 

 a perfcftlv malleable flate, entirely free from impurity, and 

 capable of being wrought into any form whatever. As this 

 is a circumftance of confiderable importance to the chemical 

 world, and the advantages whicii may refult from it to fo- 

 ciety in general are perhaps incalculable, I would confider 

 myfelf deierving^of cenfure, could I allow any motive whatever 

 to induce me to withhold it from the public. By fending it 

 for publication in a work of fueh extenfive circulation as the 

 Vol. VI . B Plulo- 



