in different chemical Processes on Fluor Spar, 275 



I made some pure fluates of silver and mercury, by dissolv- 

 mg the oxides of these metals in fluoric acid, and I heated 

 them in small trays of platina ; much fluoric acid was driven 

 off in this process, vv^hich I continued in the case of the fluate 

 of mercury till the salt began to sublime, and in that of the 

 fluate of silver till it vs^as red hot. 



The dry salts were introduced in small quantities into glass 

 retorts, which were exhausted and then filled with pure chlo- 

 rine : the part of the retort in contact with the salt was heated 

 gradually till it became red. There was soon a strong action, 

 the fluate of mercury was rapidly converted into corrosive 

 sublimate, and the fluate of silver more slowly became horn 

 silver. In both experiments there was a violent action upon 

 the whole of the interior of the retort. On examining the 

 results, it was found that in both instances there had been a 

 considerable absorption of chlorine, and a production of sihcated 

 fluoric acid gas, and oxygen gas. 



I tried similar experiments, with similar results, upon dry 

 fluates of potassa and soda. By the action of a red heat, they 

 were slowly converted into muriates with the absorption of 

 chlorine, and the production of oxygen, and silicated fluoric 

 acid gas, the retort being corroded even to its neck. 



The obvious explanation of these phenomena is, that a par- 

 ticular principle, the acidifying matter of the fluoric acid, 

 combined with the metals, is expelled from them by the 

 stronger attraction of the chlorine, and that this principle 

 coming in contact with glass decomposes it by its attraction 

 for the silicum and sodium, and separates them from the oxy- 

 gen with which they were combined. 



I made various attempts to procure the fluoric principle in a 



MDCccxm. O o 



