GABOLINTTE. 165 



The solution is neutralized by ammonia, chloride of 

 ammonium added, and the yttria, together with oxides 

 of cerium and lanthanum are precipitated by oxalate 

 of ammonia. Glucina, oxides of iron and manganese 

 remain in solution, to be separated afterwards. 



The filtered and washed mixture of the three oxal- 

 ates is ignited to decompose the oxalic acid, the oxides 

 dissolved in a very little hydrochloric acid, and the 

 solution mixed with a hot saturated solution of sul- 

 phate of potassa, which precipitates the oxides of 

 cerium and lanthanum as a white double sulphate. 

 After the lapse of twenty-four hours this is filtered off, 

 and thoroughly washed with a saturated solution* of 

 sulphate of potassa, in which it is perfectly insoluble. 

 It is then treated as in No. 87. 



The yttria is then precipitated from the filtered 

 solution by oxalate of ammonia. In order to separate 

 the lime, it is dissolved in hydrochloric acid, and pre- 

 cipitated by ammonia. 



In order to detect the presence of glucina in yttria, 

 it is necessary, since the latter cannot be extracted by 

 caustic potassa, to mix the precipitate with pure sugar, 

 and to carbonize the mass in a platinum crucible; it is 

 then ignited in a stream of dry chlorine-gas, when the 

 chloride of glucinum sublimes, and the chloride of 

 yttrium remains in the carbonized mass. 



The following method* has been proposed for the 

 separation of yttria and erbia : 



The precipitate formed by oxalic acid, in the 

 solution obtained by heating gadolinite with hydro- 

 chloric acid, contains the oxalates of erbium and 

 yttrium, besides those of calcium, cerium, lanthanum, 

 and diclymiurn, with traces of oxalate of manganese 

 and silica. These oxalates are converted into nitrates ; 

 the solution is treated with sulphate of potassa. with 



* Method Bahr and Buuseii. 



