170 TRIPHYLITE. 



with gradual addition of nitric acid ; the solution is 

 heated, to insure the conversion of all protoxide of iron 

 into sesquioxide, and poured off from any extraneous 

 minerals which generally remain undissolved. It is 

 then evaporated completely to dry ness, being constant- 

 ly stirred towards the last, and the mass heated until 

 all free acid is evaporated. It is then finely powdered, 

 boiled out with water, and the solution filtered. This 

 now contains not a trace of iron, which remains undis- 

 solved as white phosphate, but only chloride of lithium, 

 mixed with the chlorides of manganese, magnesium, 

 and sodium. In order to precipitate the two former, 

 together with a small quantity of phosphoric acid 

 which may be present, the solution is mixed with pure 

 hydrate of lime, and boiled, \yith access of air until 

 all the hydrate of protoxide of manganese is con- 

 verted into the brown sesquioxide. All the lithia re- 

 mains in the solution; it is filtered off, arid the dis- 

 solved lime precipitated by a mixture of carbonate of 

 ammonia and free ammonia. After filtration, the solu- 

 tion is evaporated, and the chloride of lithium heated 

 to fusion in a porcelain crucible. 



The chloride of lithium still contains chloride of 

 sodium, which is separated by digesting the mass with 

 a mixture of alcohol and ether, which dissolves the 

 chloride of lithium, and leaves the chloride of sodium 

 undissolved. Or the impure chloride of lithium may 

 be converted into carbonate by dissolving it in the 

 smallest possible quantity of concentrated ammonia, 

 and placing in the solution, which should be kept as 

 cold as possible, fragments of carbonate of ammonia. 

 The precipitated carbonate of lithia is filtered off and 

 washed with alcohol. 



Pure chloride of lithium is easily fusible; it im- 

 parts to the flame of alcohol a dark carmine-red color ; 

 when soda is present, the color is rather orange-red. 



