72 
DE. E. FEANKLAJSTD’S EESEAECHES OX 0EGAX0-:METALLIC BODIES. 
Dinitroethylate of Soda. 
N,aH,0,Na. 
Prepared by precipitating dinitroethylate of lime with carbonate of soda, and evapo- 
rating the filtrate in a water-bath. The residue being treated with strong alcohol, the 
dinitroethylate of soda dissolves, and is thus separated fi’om the excess of carbonate of 
soda. The alcoholic solution, evaporated to dryness in a water-bath, yielded minute scaly 
crystals, which were anhydrous. They gave the following analytical results : — 
I. T650 grm., treated by Simpson’s method, gave 84 cubic centimetres of dry nitrogen 
at 316-2 mm. pressure and 13° C., or 33-28 cubic centimetres at 760 mm. pressure and 
0°C., equal to -04201 grm. 
II. -2368 grm., moistened with nitro-hydrochloric acid and ignited, gave -1227 grm. 
chloride of sodium. 
III. -2337 grm., treated with dilute sulphuric acid and ignited, gave -1494 grm. 
sulphate of soda. 
The following numbers agree elosely -with the above formula : — 
Calculated. 
Found. 
yV 
c, . . . 
r 
. 24 
> 
21-43 
' I. 
II. 
III.' 
H, . . . 
5 
4-46 
N, . . . 
. 28 
25-00 
25-46 
NaO . . 
. 31 
27-68 
27-48 
27-91 
O 3 . . . 
. 24 
21-43 
112 
100-00 
Products of the Decomposition of Dinitroethylic Add. 
I have stated that when dinitroethylic acid is liberated fi-om its salts, by the addition 
of concentrated sulphuric acid, it is rapidly decomposed even at 0° C. I have examined 
the products of this decomposition in the case of the lime-salt, with the following results. 
A quantity of crystals of dinitroethylate of lime in coarse powder was placed in an appa- 
ratus, in which it could be gradually decomposed by concentrated sulphuric acid, the 
gaseous products collected, and then weight accurately ascertained. The rapidity of decom- 
position was moderated by the external application of cold water. At the conclusion 
of the decomposition, it was found that the weight of the gaseous products evolved was 
equal to 30-6 per cent, of the weight of the lime-salt employed. The weight of gaseous 
products is therefore almost exactly one-half of the weight of the anhydi-ous acid con- 
tained in the lime-salt (59-6 per cent.). The liquid and solid products of the operation 
contained sulphate of lime, sulphovinate of lime, and sulphate of ammonia or ethylamine. 
These gaseous products, after streaming through concentrated sulphuric acid, were col- 
lected over mercury and submitted to eudiometrical investigation. The determination 
