Processes for Potassium. 61 
the receiver, and thus a great'portion of metal is lost in the redistilla- 
tion; besides, the receiver is so large that it is exceedingly difficult 
to manage in separating it from the retort, for the purpose of redis- 
tillation, unless it has previously cooled, at least, considerably below 
redness. A third objection, greater than either of the others, is, that 
much less metal is obtained by this process, than when the materials 
are detached by means of the naphtha and iron scraper,* previous 
to the redistillation. 
To obviate these objections as far as possible, I ogdered to be made 
a thick wrought iron cylindrical bottle, in form, like that of the quick- 
silver bottle, holding a little more than a pint, beer measure. In one 
end of this bottle, to be used asa receiver, was bored a hole an inch 
and a half in diameter for receiving the connecting tube d, (see the 
figure,) which is three inches long, and in the opposite end, another 
hole was bored half an inch in diameter, for receiving the safety 
tube. A tolerably correct idea of this apparatus may be obtained by 
examining the annexed figure, in which 
's represented a side view of a section ; 
of the furnace containing the apparatus ; 
“4, passage for the air coming from a 
room below; 6, 6, interior of the furnace ; 
6; the retort in its place; d, the connect- 
ing tube; e, the receiver; h, the safety 
tube; i, glass Cup containing spirits of 
tufpentine ; &; grate with its prop; f, the | 
hook for pulling down the grate when the operation is finished; 4, 
ie tube to be attached to the receiver e, in redistillation ; /, iron plug 
“ be used also in redistillation. 
With this apparatus I was enabled to keep up the operation, unin- 
j ruPtedly, until all the metal had distilled over. ‘This being done, 
roceeded to distill the contents of the receiver without detaching 
nian unscrewing the connecting tube from the receiver and 
§ Its place by the tube &; the safety tube was also un- 
oo , 
4 I 
ee ee and its place supplied by the iron plug l. The receiver 
be Pes Coated, and placed horizontally in the furnace, with the, 
e 
eit » Projecting in front, and a little inclined. The heat which had 
wan ral diminished, was raised by additional fuel, until the bottle 
as heated nearly to whiteness, before any signs of metal appeared. 
* 
in Pe ay one may be formed of a stiff iron rod, flattened at the end, and bent 
nhs Scraper; the same is made more durable of steel. 
