86 On the Action of Acetone on Bichloride of Platinum. 



inflammable chloride of platinum in PoggendorfF's Annalen, 

 vol. xl. p. 251.). It also appears worthy of notice that, whilst 

 by the action of bichloride of platinum on alcohol, 2 atoms 

 oi'the protochloride combine with 1 atom of aetherin (C* H^), 

 here only i atom of the protochloride, but in addition to this 

 also H-. O. (which perhaps replaces the second atom of the 

 chloride) forms a combination with C. H^. 



After obtaining the last brown crystallized portions of meta- 

 cechlorplatin by evaporation in vacuo, there remained still a 

 brown sour fluid ; if this were heated in a retort it became 

 turbid and entered into tolerably strong effervescence, during 

 which an aetherial fluid passed over; and in the course of from 

 half an hour to one hour, large quantities of flocculi of a coal- 

 black colour had separated from the fluid, which had then be- 

 come colourless. I will here only remark of this body, that 

 when slightly heated, it burns with explosion ; for the present 

 I shall it pueracechlorplatin. 



When water can dissolve no more of the original syrupy 

 product of the distilled solution of the bichloride, there re- 

 mains a considerable quantity of a brownish black pitch-like 

 substance — for convenience sake I call this 2)latinharz* . At 

 common temperatures it is brittle like resin, and breaks with 

 a vitreous fracture ; and when it is very carefully digested in 

 water and then dried in a vacuum over sulphuric acid and 

 hydrated potassa, it is very easily pulverizable. When 

 slightly warmed it becomes soft, and may then be kneaded 

 like wax and drawn out in threads. Inflamed it burns with a 

 very brilliant and somewhat greenish flame, leaving metallic 

 platinum. Heated in a retort it swells up considerably, giving 

 off" at the same time abundant fumes, of which a portion easily 

 condenses: the carbonaceous residue burns in the air very 

 slowly and leaves metallic platinum. Caustic potash dissolves 

 the resin entirely ; acetone almost the whole, and alcohol and 

 aether the greater part of it. That portion which was insolu- 

 ble in the two last-mentioned fluids dissolves in acetone, from 

 which a brownish black body (soluble only in acetone and a 

 solution of caustic potassa) was separated by aether : for the pre- 

 sent I shall call this substance chlorseplatin. That portion 

 which is soluble in alcohol and jether appears however still to 

 contain two distinct bodies. This, like the metacechlorplatin, 

 as well as the other primary and secondary products, I hope 

 soon to be able to describe more fully. In connexion with 

 this, I am at present also occupied with investigating the 

 action of metaceton, pyroligneous spirit, and oil of turpen- 



• Platinum Resin. E. Solly. 



