26 
PROFESSOR EOSCOE’S RESEAECHES ON VANADIUM. 
Hence we have — 
Calculated. 
Found. 
V 2 =102*60 
60*33 
61*69 
Cl = 35*46 
20*84 
18*93 
0 2 = 32*00 
18*83 
— 
170*06 
100*00 
VI. VANADIUM NITRIDES. 
1. Vanadium Mononitride , VN=65*3. — The process described by Berzelius for 
preparing metallic vanadium by heating the ammonio-oxychloride in an atmosphere of 
ammonia does not yield the metal but a nitride. 
The mononitride is obtained by passing dry ammonia gas over vanadyl trichloride 
contained in a bulb-tube, and igniting the ammonio-oxychloride formed until the 
ammonium chloride has volatilized. The black powder thus produced (vanadium di- 
nitride 1) is then placed in a platinum boat, which is exposed for some hours to the 
white heat of a wind-furnace in a porcelain tube through which dry ammonia (or rather 
a mixture of its constituent gases) passed. The substance thus obtained is a greyish- 
brown powder, which does not undergo change on exposure to air at ordinary tempe- 
ratures, and remains unaltered when it is again strongly heated in ammonia. When 
roasted in the air it slowly oxidizes, glows, and forms a blue oxide ; on further heating 
it melts, and ultimately forms pure vanadium pentoxide. Heated with soda-lime in a 
glass tube, the mono-nitride readily evolves ammonia. 
The nitride employed in the following analyses had been repeatedly heated to white- 
ness in a current of ammonia until no further diminution of weight occurred. 
Boat and nitride after second ignition in ammonia 6*285 grms. 
„ „ third for three hours 6*284 „ 
(1) Determination of Vanadium . — 
Weight of nitride employed 0*3126 grm. 
Constant weight of vanadium pentoxide, obtained by roasting, 04359. 
Hence the nitride contained 77*8 per cent, of vanadium. 
The formula YN requires 78*6 per cent, of metal. 
(2) Determination of Nitrogen. — The nitrogen was determined according to Simpson’s 
method, by heating the nitride with a mixture of the oxides of mercury and copper, and 
passing the gases over red-hot metallic copper. 
Analysis (1). Weight of nitride taken=02683 grm. 
Observed vol. of nitrogen 
(measured dry). Pressure. Temp. Vol. at 0° and 760 millims. 
142T vols. 718 millims. 9°*2 43*2 cub. centims. 
(1 vol.=0331 cub. centim.). 
This corresponds to a percentage of 203 nitrogen. 
