NATURE AND DECOMPOSITION OF THE FI^EP ALKALIS^ «An 



of the agencies of the basis of soda, and that of potash, on 

 sulphur, phosphorus, and tlie metals. 



It combines with sulphur in close vessels filled with the Of sulphur. 

 vapour of naplitha with great vividness, with light, heat, aiul 

 often with explofion from the vaporization of a portion of sul- 

 phur, and the disengagement of sulphuretted hidrogen gas. 

 The sulphuretted basis of soda is of a dtep gray colour. 



The phosphuret has the appearance of lead, and forms Of phospho- 

 phosphate of soda by exposure to air, or by combustion. '""^* 



The basis of soda in the quantity of ,?g- renders mercury Of mercury. 

 a fixed solid of the colour of silver, and the combination is 

 attended with a considerable degree of heat. 



It makes an alloy with tin, without changing its colour, Of tin, 

 and it acts upon lead and gold when heated. I have not lead, and gold-, 

 examined its habitudes with any other metals ; but in its 

 state of alloy it is soon converted into soda by exposure Xo 

 air, or by the action of water, which it decomposes with the 

 evolution of hidrogen. 



The amalgam of mercury and the basis of soda seems to Its amalgam 

 form triple compounds with other metals. I have tried iron ^^u^ otner me . 

 and platina, which I am inclined to believe remain io com- 

 bination with the mercury, when it is deprived Oif the riew 

 substance by exposure to air. 



The amalgam of the basis of soda and mercury likewise and with sul- 

 ' combines with sulphur, and forms a triple compound of a ^'^"'^* 

 dark gvay colour. 



VI. On the Proportions of the peculiar Bases and Oxigen in 

 Potash and Soda. 



The facility of combustion of the bases of the alkalis, Proportions of 

 and the readiness with which they decomposed water, oHered ''>« basci to 

 means fully adequate for determining the proportious of ^i^j^fj^" ^° ""^ 

 • their ponderable constituent parts. 



I shall mention the general methods of the experiments, 

 and the results obtained by the different series, which ap- 

 proach as near to each other as can be expected in opera-? 

 tions performed on such small quantities of materials. 



For the process in oxigen gas I employed glass tubes Process to de- 

 containing small trays made of thin leaves of silver, or other ^^"""^'^ iheac. 

 noble metals, on which the substoace to be burnt, after 



being 



