ACTIONS OF NITRIC AND OXALIC ACIDS. 



1. Action of Nitric Acid on the Chlorides of Potassium 

 and Sodium. 2. Action of Oxalic Acid on the Nitrates 

 and Chlorides of the same, with a ready Method of 

 converting them into the Carbonates; Oxalic Acid en- 

 abling Zinc to decompose Water. 



This note is intended as an appendix to my researches for 

 determining the alkalies in insoluble silicates. 



During that investigation many novel and interesting re- 

 actions were observed, several of which have already been 

 alluded to. I present here one or two others of some interest. 



It is well known that if nitric acid be added to a chloride, 

 or hydrochloric acid to a nitrate, more or less of a decomposi- 

 tion will in either case ensue; but I believe it is not generally 

 known how ready and complete the replacement is when nitric 

 acid is heated with chloride of potassium or of sodium. 



Among the experiments made, forty grammes of nitric acid 

 were boiled gently with six grammes of chloride of potassium, 

 and in twenty minutes no trace of chlorine could be found in 

 the liquid. The same is true when the chloride of sodium 

 is used. The operations appear to depend on the oxidizing 

 property of the nitric acid, with the liberation of chlorine that 

 combines with some of the elements of nitric acid to form the 

 chloronitric acid that readily passes oif. The decomposition 

 of the nitrates of the alkalies by hydrochloric acid does not 

 readily take place, it not being complete even after repeated 

 evaporations to dryness with a large excess of hydrochloric 

 acid. 



Before settling on the plan I now adopt, an easy method 

 was sought for separating the alkalies from magnesia by con- 

 verting the two into carbonates — a plan that had previously 



