ON NITROGEN AND AMMONIA. ^j 



tren,and its being separated with the potassium in the form 

 of the gray pyvophoric sublimate, which I have found ib al- 

 ways produced, when potassium is electrized and converted 

 into vapour in ammonia. 



The phosphuret of lime in its common state is a con- Experiment 



ductor of electricity : and when it was made the medium of ^^"*^ ^^°^l^'^"' 



•' ' , ^ ret of lime, 



communication between the wires of the great baTter}^ it 



burnt with a most intense light. Tt was ignited to white- 

 ness in nitrogen gas; a little phosphuretted hidrogen was 

 given off from it, but the nitrogen was not altered ; the 

 apparatus was similar to that used for the potassium. 



As almost all compounds known to contain hidrogen are A mixture of 



readily decomposed by ox i muriatic acid gas, a mixture of "''™sc" ^'i'* 



.... . 1 , , , otimuriatic 



nitrogen and oximuriatic acid gas was passed through a acid gas ex- 

 porcelain tube heated to whiteness ; the products were re- P^^ed to heat. 

 ceived in a pneumatic apparatus over water; there was a 

 small loss of nitrogen ; but the greatest part came over 

 densely clouded, and as nitromuriatic acid was found dis- 

 solved in the water, no conclusions concerning the decom- 

 position of nitrogen can be drawn from the process. 



The general tenour of these inquiries cannot be consider- No confirma- 



ed as strengthening in any considerable degree the suspicion, ^'^^ <^f 'hede- 

 ^ ^ J ... r y composition i>[ 



which I formed of the decomposition of nitrogen, by the nitrogen. 



distillation of the olive coloured substance from potassium 

 and ammonia in tubes of iron. 



In reasoning closely upon the phenomena in this opera- The loss of ni- 

 tion, it appears to me indeed possible to account for the loss ^''ogen a ;coimt- 

 of nitrogen, without assuming, that it has been conv3i-ted 

 into new matter. Though the iron tubes, which I used, 

 were carefully cleaned ; yet still it was not unlikely, that a 

 small quantity of oxide might adhere to the welded parts ; 

 the oxigen of which, in the beginning of the process of dis- 

 tillation, might form water with hidrogen, given off from 

 the fusible substance; which, being condensed in the upper 

 part of the tube, would be again brought into action to- 

 ward the close of the operation, occasioning the formation, 

 and possibly the absorption of some ammonia, and conse- 

 quently a loss of nitrogen, and the production of an in- 

 creased proportion of hidrogen. I have made one experi- Experiment to 

 ment, with the hopes of deciding this question, in an iron ^^'^^'^'^'"' *"" 



tube 



