60 E. F. Smith— Electrolytic Estimation of Cadmium. 
Arr. VIIL.—On the ene i wee Cadmium ; by : 
Epe@ar F. Smits, Ph.D 
of cadmium by electrolysis, which, however, proved unsuccess- : 
ful—the cadmium being indeed thrown out of the solution, but — 
in such a form as to enclose impurities; yielding consequently — 
unsatisfactory results. 4 
ut of curiosity to see what might be effected by substitut- — 
ing some other salt for the chloride, I employed an acetate solu. a 
tion and met with success, as the following experiments show: 
I. -1450 grams cadmium oxide were dissolved i in acetic acid, 
the excess of the latter evaporated upon a water bath an then 
ee pele crucible about half filled with ee and placed 7 
a copper ring connected with the vipat) oe of a two - 
tinum crucible was sg and in a ndbfectly "eoyautline gray 
ish white layer. In about three hours the separation was com 
plete. The cadmium was first washed with distilled water, 3 
age of metal in the oxide is 
I, -2046 grams cadmium side placed in a small, rather 
d 
experiment was perfectly crystalline and metallic in appearance. 
Not the slightest trace of spongy metal was visible. The sep 
aration was finis ae d in about the same time as in 16 
metal was washed and ‘ried as above. Found ‘1790 grams 
metal, corresponding to 87-48 per cent Cd. : 
m various experiments made by me I find that good 
results may be obtained constantly by observing the gh 
1st. Work with rather concentrated solutions of the ace 
2d. Employ a sufficient number of cells of either adel 
give a rapid and rather energetic current. 
Laboratory of the University of Pennsylvania, October 31, 1878. 
