ON THE COMPOSITION OF MELAMINE. 
166 
rhombic base, in which the angles are about 
75^^ and 115®. They are while, contain no 
water, an,d are riot altered by the air. Cold 
water dissolves very little melamine, but hot 
water readily dissolves it. Melamine, com- 
bines with all the acids, and forms very charac- 
teristic salts. When heated with a solution 
of sal-ammoniac it gives out ammonia, and 
combines with muriatic acid. The sulphates 
and nitrates of copper, the salts of zinc, iron, 
manganese, are decomposed by a solution of 
melamine in water, and the oxides are preci- 
pitated. Fused with potash, cyanate of 
potash is produced ; if it is in excess, mel- 
lonuret of potassium is formed. Liebig found 
the composition of melamine to be Carbon 
28’460 Azote 66673 Hydrogen 4865 Total 
100-000. 
Melamine, heated with nitric and sul- 
phur c acids, yields ammonia, and a substance 
which remains dissolved in the acid, and is 
identical with the product of the action of 
concentrated acids upon melam. 
Melamine has a strong affinity for sulphu- 
ric acid. The formation of needle formed 
crystals is the result of their combination, 
which are scarcely soluble in cold but easily 
soluble in hot water. 
N ITRATE OF MELAMINE.— Is readily 
formed by adding nitric acid to a cold solution 
of melamine in water, until the liquid be 
strongly acid. It is in the form of long 
needles. By combustion this salt gives car- 
bonic acid and azote, in the proportion 
of 6 to 7. 
When a solution of melamine is added to 
nitrate of silver a white crusialluie precipita- 
tion ensues, which consists of 
1 atom melamine I6. 
I ” nitric acid 6-75 
I ” oxide of silver 14-75 
37-5 
OXALATE OF MELAMINE-ls less 
soluble in w-ater than the nitrate. It affords, 
by analysis, carbonic and azote in the pro- 
portions of 8 to 6, and obviously consists of 
1 atom melamine 16. 
1 ’’ oxalic acid 4*5 
1 ” water 1125 
21 625 
ACETATE OF MELAMINE- Is very 
soluble in water, and crystalizes in large rect- 
angular flexible plates. 
PHOSPHATE OF MELAMINE— Is 
very soluble in boiling water. A concen- 
trated solution leaves, on cooling, a white mass 
formed ot needles placed concentrically. 
Formate of melamine dissolves easily and 
crystallizes. 
'4. A MM ELI N E.— This substance remains 
in solution in the caustic potash when mela- 
mine is prepared. It may be sep-arated by 
saturating the alakali with an acid. It is best 
to employ acetic acid, because the mineral 
acids dissolve in it excess. Carbonate of 
ammonia and sal-ammoniac precipitate it also 
from its alkaline solution. After precipita- 
tion it should be washed and dissolved in 
nitric acid. Concentrate the solution and 
long four-sided colourless or slightly yellow 
prisms will besepaiated; or precipitate it 
from its solution in niliic acid by means ot 
caustic ammonia, or carbonate of ammonia. 
AMMELINE — Is a white shining crys- 
tallized substance when precipitated by 
ammonia, insoluble in water, alcohol, and 
ether, but soluble in the caustic alkalies and 
in most of the acid''. When heated it affords 
a crystallized sublimate of ammonia, and, if 
the heat is carried far enough, is coverted 
into cyanogen and azote, leaving no residue. 
'Towards acids it acts as a base, but it is 
weaker than melamine. Its salts are parti- 
ally decomposed by water. A mmeline, analyzed 
by oxide of copper afforded Carbon 28-553 
Azote 55-110 Oxygen 12-451 Hydrogen 3 884 
Total lOO-COO 
Nitrate of ameline consits of 
1 atom ammeline 
1 nitric acid 
1 water 
16 * 
, 6-75 
,.1-T25 
23-875 
Nitrate of ammeline affords with nitrate 
of silver, a precipitate of the same nature 
as that produced by melamine, being white 
and crystalline, and consisting of one atom 
each of ammeline, nitric acid and oxide of 
silver. Liebig explains the formation of 
ammeline and melamine, by considering that 
from 2 atoms of melam and the elements of 
2 atoms of water, 1 atom of melamine and 1 
atom of ammeline result. 
By boiling melam with hydrochloric acid, 
ammeline and ammonia are produced by the 
aid of 2 atoms of water. Cyanate of potash 
is produced by action of potash on dry am- 
meline, the cyanic acid in this case being 
formed by 1 atom of ammeline combining 
with 2 atoms of water, the resulting pro- 
duct being 3 atoms of acid. 
5. AMM ELIDE results from adding 
alcohol to a solution of melam or melamine in 
concentrated sulphuric acid. It precipitates 
in the form of a thick white precipitate. It 
may be also obtained by heating nitrate of 
ammeline till the soft mass becomes solid, or 
by boiling melamine in concentrated nitric 
acid. By boiling impure melam in dilute sul- 
phuric acid, it disolves, and crystals of 
sulphate of ammeline appear by evaporation, 
which are decomposed, if the liquid is boiled 
or further concentrated. Ammelide precipi- 
tates by the addition of the alkaline carbo- 
nates or alcohol. It is a white power and 
seems a neutral body. Its composition correc- 
ted by theory is, Tar bon -28-444 Azote 49-410 
Oxygen 18-606 Hydrogen 8.538 'fotal 100-000. 
Liebig considers that it presents an anhy- 
drous cyanate of ammonia or urea, which is 
deprived of all its water and the half of it 
ammonia. It is remarkable, that among the 
transformations of melamine, its saturating 
properties seem to diminish in proportion to 
the quantity of oxygen with which it com- 
bines. The same observation is applicable to 
vegetable bases, as for example, narcotine 
and solanine whose base functions are not 
well characterized, but which are distin- 
guished from the stronger bases by containing 
a greater proportion of oxygen. 
