112 



CHEMISTRY. 



stated that the coke produced from a mixture 

 of the Oreuzot anthracite with the Etienne bi- 

 tuminous contained a multitude of brilliant 

 points which readily scratch glass. 



N'ew Applications of Bisulphide of Carbon. 

 The latest application of bisulphide of car- 

 bon to manufacturing purposes is that of tak- 

 ing up the vast quantity of oil remaining in 

 olives after they are pressed- and also saving 

 the soap which, having been used in the silk- 

 factories, has formerly been allowed to pass off 

 into the rivers. In France, the annual waste 

 from these two causes is enormous. The bi- 

 sulphide of carbon is now allowed to flow 

 through the olives, after the pressure has ex- 

 tracted all that can be obtained in that way, 

 and then into a still, where it is distilled off, 

 and thence passes to a new quantity of olives, 

 the process being continuous and so perfect 

 that the offensive smell of the bisulphide is not 

 to be perceived in the establishment. The olives, 

 thus deprived of their last portion of oil, are 

 improved for purposes of manure. Applied to 

 a saving of the soap refuse of the silk factories, 

 in a similar way, several thousand tons of val- 

 uable material will be saved annually. 



Previous to this ingenious and useful appli- 

 cation of the bisulphide of carbon, it had been 

 used to supersede the ordinary tedious and 

 wasteful mode of obtaining the odoriferous 

 principles of flowers, as follows : A flask con- 

 taining the petals of flowers recently gathered 

 having been filled up with the fluid, is corked and 

 shaken, and left to rest six hours, after which 

 the bisulphide is decanted into a flask contain- 

 ing the petals of similar flowers. This second 

 flask is corked, agitated, and left to rest as be- 

 fore. The operation is repeated on a third and 

 fourth flask of petals, after which the bisul- 

 phide may be evaporated by mere exposure to 

 the air, and the residue treated with alcohol. 

 Or it may be mixed with oil of sweet almonds, 

 then shaken several times a day for three 

 or four days, and afterward placed in an 

 open vessel and exposed to the air. If 

 the mixture is considerable in quantity, it 

 should be distilled at the lowest sufficient 

 temperature in a water-bath. "Were the tem- 

 perature allowed to become too high, some of 

 the bisulphide would be lost, and some of the 

 aromatic matter destroyed. Equal parts by 

 weight of petals and bisulphide are very suita- 

 ble proportions. 



Graphitoidal Boron (so called). At the 

 January meeting of the French Academy, Prof. 

 Deville reported the fact that, in connection 

 with "Wohler, he had recently ascertained that 

 the variety of boron called graphitoidal origi- 

 nally described by them was not pure boron, 

 but a definite compound of boron with alumi- 

 num. It is formed in the preparation of crys- 

 tallized boron by means of aluminum, espe- 

 cially when the temperature is not sufficiently 

 high. This aluminic boride crystallizes in fine 

 hexagonal plates of the color of pale copper, is 

 perfectly opaque, and possesses a metallic lus- 



tre. Heated in the air it does not burn, but is 

 blued like steel. In chlorine it burns, forming 

 aluminic and boric chlorides. It is slowly sol- 

 uble in hot concentrated chlorohydric acid, 

 and in a hot solution of sodic hydrate, evolving 

 hydrogen. In very strong nitric acid it dis- 

 solves readily. The addition of ammoniac 

 carbonate to this solution precipitates a basic 

 aluminic borate. In the analysis the boric 

 acid was expelled from this precipitate by 

 fluo-hydric acid, and then the fluorine by sul- 

 phuric acid. Two analyses gave 54.02 and 

 54.91 respectively of aluminum, corresponding 

 to the formula A1B 2 . 



Pure Hydrate of Sodium. The new method 

 of preparing hydrate of sodium from metallic 

 sodium insures the production of an article al- 

 most commercially pure. Sodium as prepared 

 for the market is cast in mo.ulds which are 

 well smeared with oil, which coats the metal 

 and prevents it oxidizing; but the sodium from 

 which the hydrate is made is cast in bright 

 clean moulds. When removed it is well rubbed 

 with a clean linen cloth, in which it is encased 

 to prevent contamination from the atmosphere. 

 The bars of sodium are cut into lumps about 

 one inch square. One of these lumps is thrown 

 into a perfectly clean silver dish, which floats 

 on a stream of cold water. A few drops of 

 distilled water are poured on the sodium, and 

 the vessel is well agitated by hand, which pre- 

 vents explosions. When the first lump is dis- 

 solved, another piece is thrown in, additional 

 drops of water are added, and the vessel kept 

 constantly agitated, and so on throughout the 

 operation. After a deposit of soda <forms at 

 the bottom and around the sides of the vessel, 

 and the liquid becomes completely saturated, 

 the tendency to explosions seems much re- 

 duced. If the dish remains quiet, great 

 amount of heat is generated, and the fusing 

 sodium bursts out like a tiny volcano, scatter- 

 ing globules of fire i. e., burning sodium all 

 around ; but if the vessel is kept in constant 

 motion, a fresh surface of cold water is brought 

 into contact with the fusing sodium, its tem- 

 perature is reduced, and explosions are almost 

 prevented. The milky liquid thus prepared is 

 now filtered, and then fused in a silver crucible, 

 over a gas furnace, to a dull-red heat, or until all 

 moisture is driven off and the liquid becomes 

 perfectly transparent. The crucible is care- 

 fully covered up, and the contents allowed to 

 cool ; but as the hydrate of sodium is very de- 

 liquescent, absorbing moisture even when too 

 hot to be handled with impunity, it is removed 

 from the crucible whilst warm, quickly broken 

 into lumps, and placed in well-stoppered bottles. 

 The operation is at the best a slow and tedious 

 one, accompanied with an unpleasant smell 

 and some annoyance, as, with the utmost care, 

 explosions cannot be entirely avoided. A 

 steady workman will dissolve up. working with 

 one dish, about 1J Ibs. of sodium per day, but 

 he could be trained to take charge of two 

 dishes. (Chemical News.} 



