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Chemistry and Physics. 118 
SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 
I, CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS. 
1. On Platinum and the metals which accompany it,-—H. Sr. Charmer 
Hare, By the same apparatus properly employed, the authors purify 
the metals and their alloys from more volatile elements with which they 
3s sensibly volatilized but it does not fuse, and hence resembles arsenic in 
aving its boiling point lower than its point of fusion. ‘Iwo determina- 
ions of the density of the vapor of osmic acid gave 8°88 and 8°89, cor- 
responding to 2 vols. Next to osmium ruthenium is most difficult of fu- 
sion, but may yet be obtained in small fused masses when its density is 
from 11 to 11:4. The authors give analyses of the protoxyd of ruthe- 
nium and of the crystallized deutoxyd isomorphous with stannic acid. 
They also describe a beautiful alloy of ruthenium and tin having the for- 
mula RuSne and crystallizing in cubes. Palladium fuses even more 
readily than platinum, and volatilizes at the temperature at which irid- 
sm melts. It also absorbs oxygen when fused like silver without beeom- 
ing be a Its density at 22°5° is 11°4. With tin it forms an alloy 
i izing in small brilliant plates having the formula Sn2Pds. Rho- 
um fuses less easily than platinum; it has about the color of aluminum 
. ‘nd when pure is malleable and ductile; its density is 12-1. It forms 
“rystalline alloys with zinc and tin. 
before the oxy-hydrogen blowpipe. “Deville and Debray give a detailed 
Pai aa of the apparatus by which this metal may be n- 
ms of not less than 12 to 16 kilograms at an expense of from 0-24 fr 
0-40 fr. per am. (The late Dr. Hare fused nees at o 
and refined, platinum is as soft as copper; it is whiter than ordi- 
nary platinum and free from porosity ; its density is 21°15. With tin 
sang forms a. i 
fies requires an extremely high temperature for its fusion, but when 
i oS ® pure white color, and is brittle under the hammer like a erys- 
metal ; its density is the same as that of platinum, namely 21°15, 
a ae Vou. XXIX, No. 85.—-JAN., 1260. 
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