234 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



From about 8 pounds of crystallized acetate of lead, M. Zeise ob- 

 tained by the process now described from 10 to 11 J ounces of per- 

 fectly pure acetone. — Ann. de Chim. et de Phys., t. lxxii. 



CARBURET OF PLATINA. 



M. Zeise observes that the formation of a compound of carbon 

 and platina has been hitherto ineffectually attempted ; he has, how- 

 ever, succeeded in procuring by means of decomposing acechlor- 

 platina by heat. 



When acechlor-platina is heated in a retort, to which a receiver 

 is adapted, with a bent tube, it begins to decompose and yield a 

 little gas at about 419° ; at 464° the disengagement of gas is plenti- 

 ful, and a brown liquid distils. This continues with the gradual 

 increase of the heat up to 527°, a little colourless liquid coming 

 over from time to time; at 572° much gas and liquid were pro- 

 duced ; when this heat ceased to produce any effect, the retort was 

 heated to redness in the sand-bath ; this occasioned a copious dis- 

 engagement of gas ; so that the quantity obtained at this period 

 was greater than all previously procured, but the quantity of liquid 

 was much smaller ; when neither gas nor liquid was obtained, the 

 operation was stopped, and the residue cooled out of contact with 

 the air. 



The distilled liquid contained so much hydrochloric acid that it 

 smoked in the air, and when mixed with water it gave an oily liquid 

 which floated. Its odour was resinous and sethereal : the volume 

 of the liquid was considerably diminished by treatment with water. 



The gas was a mixture of hydrochloric acid and an inflammable 

 gas, which was probably protocarburet of hydrogen, and there were 

 traces of carbonic acid. The residue was black, slightly coherent, 

 and free from metallic particles. The slowness with which it burnt, 

 indicated that it was a chemical compound of carbon and platina. 



In the first experiment 100 parts of acechlor-platina yielded 

 60*0107 of carburet of platina, and in the second 60*708 ; the mean 

 is 60*362. 



On the supposition that it is a bicarburet of platina, 100 parts of 

 acechlor-platina ought to have yielded 60*347 parts of carburet. 

 Then as 100 parts acechlor-platina, and consequently 60*362 of 

 carburet of platina, contain 53*692 parts of platina, we have for 100 

 parts of carburet of platina, 



Carbon 11*041 



Platina 88*959 



100 



Calculation gives 11*029 carbon, and 88*971 platina; it retained 

 scarcely a trace of chlorine. Carburet of platina may also be ob- 

 tained by heating to redness a mixture of acechlor-platina and hy- 

 drate of lime. — Ann. de Chim. et de Phys., t. lxxii. 



