244 Chloride of Aluminium and its Analysis. 



sion the chloride and glass weighed 4.997 grammes. The 2.002 

 grammes of chloride of silver lost by fusion OiOOl grammes and the 

 whole chloride of silver would have weighed after fusion 2.0549731. 



C. To ascertain the relative proportion of chlorine and silver in the 

 chloride of silver, independent of any atomic weights, the fused chlo- 

 ride of silver, weighing 2.001 grammes, was reduced to the metallic 

 state, by placing the piece of glass on which it was fused, and to 

 which it was still adhering, in a capsule, with a piece of zinc lying 

 on the chloride, and then pouring on enough water, slightly acidula- 

 ted with sulphuric acid, to cover it. In 24 hours the reduction was 

 complete, and the mass of reduced silver had detached itself from 

 the glass. The silver was well washed, but on account of its po- 

 rosity it was impossible to separate all the traces of sulphate and 

 muriate of zinc, and consequently it could not be weighed, when dry, 

 with any certainty of the accuracy desired. To remedy this evil, 

 the mass of silver was fused, with a httle borax, on a piece of com- 

 pact charcoal, and to prevent the loss that is apt to be experienced 

 from the spirting which takes place when pure silver is solidifying, 

 the globule, as soon as it began to congeal, was taken in the forceps, 

 and thrown into cold water. A few minute particles of silver were 

 observed in the borax, on the charcoal. To obtain these, the borax 

 was fused into a globule, and thrown, when hot, into an agate mortar, 

 containing cold water. This was then ground down, and the borax 

 was mostly separated from the silver. The silver and remaining 

 borax were again fused, and the particles of silver coalesced into one 

 globule ; but some care und skill are necessary in the operator, to 

 enable him to succeed in this completely. The small globule of 

 silver obtained, of perhaps J^ grain weight, was. placed on the lar- 

 ger globule, and both fused again, to free their surfaces from slight 

 traces of adhering borax. 



When the globule began to congeal, it was thrown into water as. 

 before, to prevent loss. I do not think that in the reduction and 

 fusions there could have been a loss of ^ ^V o grain in weight. The 

 globule of silver obtained weighed 1.5075 grammes. The chloride 

 from which it was obtained weighed 2.001 grammes, consequently 

 the whole chloride of silver obtained, had it been reduced, would 

 have given 1.548161 grammes of silver, for 2.001 cl. s. : 1.5075 s. 

 : : 2.0549731 cl. s. : X, and :r= 1.548161. The chlorine then, esti- 

 mated by difference in the 2.0549731 grammes of chloride of silver is 

 0.506811 grammes, for 2.0549731 cl.s.- 1548161 s.=0.5068n cl. 



