JOURNAL 



OF THE 



ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL 



Vol. LXV. Part II.— NATURAL SCIENCE 

 No. IV.— 1896. 



Notes on the action of Nitric Oxide on Alkalies. — By A. Pedler, F.R.S., 



and Jtotibhushan Bhadurt, M.A. 



[Received Oct. 5th, 1896 ; Read 4th Nov., 1896.] 



Gaylussac* found that when nitric oxide was kept for three 

 months in contact with a concentrated solution of potash, it was resolv- 

 ed into one-fourth of the original volume of nitrous oxide gas, and into 

 nitrous acid, which latter combined with the potash. Cooke, f Russell J 

 and Lampraik and others have also come to the same conclusion. They 

 have moreover found that nitrogen is in addition liberated. Sabatier 

 and Senderens§ more recently have also studied the action of nitric 

 oxide on metals and metallic oxides. 



The action of nitric oxide on such substances as potassic or sodic 

 hydrate might take place in three directions. It is possible, that 

 according to the analogous case of the action of nitrogen tetroxide on 

 potassic hydrate, which as is well known yields a mixture of an equivalent 

 amount of nitrite and nitrate, nitric oxide under the same circumstances 

 might yield equivalent amounts of nitrite and hyponitrite, according 

 to the equation : — 



2 NO + 2 KOH^NOOK + NOK + HgO. 



If this occurred the gas would be wholly dissolved by the alkali. 



* Gm. 2, 378. t C. N. 58, 115. % C. J. Trans. 32, 35 and 37.' 



§ Comptes Rendus. 114, 1429 and 1476; 120, 1158. 



J, II. 70 



