^f6 Sir H. Davy on the Substances produced 



pure form. I heated the fluates of potassa and soda in trays 

 of platina, in a tube of platina connected with a vessel filled 

 with chlorine. In this case the fluates were converted into 

 muriates, with a considerable increase of the weight of the 

 tray ; and the platina was violently acted upon, and covered 

 with a reddish brown powder ; and in the instance in which 

 fluate of pot.issa was used, a compound of fluate of platina and 

 muriate of potassa was formed. 



There was a considerable absorption of chlorine; but no 

 new gaseous matter could be discovered in the gas in the 

 tube. 



I tried to obtain the fluoric principle pure, by decomposing 

 the fluates in a tube of silver, but with no better success ; the 

 silver was acted upon both by the chlorine and the fluoric 

 principle, and rapidly dissolved. I used glass tubes coated 

 with resin of copper (^cuprane) and hornsilver [argentane), on 

 which I concluded that the fluoric principle would have no 

 action from the decomposition of fluate of silver by chlorine ; 

 but at the degree of heat required to decompose the fluoric 

 salts, the muriates were always fused, the glass violently acted 

 upon, and silicated fluoric acid gas formed. 



In one instance, in which fluate of potassa had been heated 

 in a platina tray and tube, in which muriate of potassa had been 

 fused, for the purpose of defending the interior, as much as 

 possible, from the action of the fluoric principle, the gas, when 

 disengaged into the atmosphere, had a pecuHar smell, differ- 

 ent from that of chlorine, (which certainly formed the greatest 

 proportion of the elastic matter,) and more disagreeable; and 

 dense white fumes were produced by its action upon the air. 

 A portion of this gas thrown into a glass receiver, over 



