DR. H. DEBUS ON THE CHEMICAL THEORY OF GUNPOWDER. 
541 
Potassic carbonate . 
„ sulphate. 
,, sulphide. 
„ hyposulphite . 
Grnis. 
1*650 
1*188 
Grms. 
2 .- 34 jSuiphur . . 
1*4366 
1 Potassium . 
1*0977 
0-1 n J Sul P llur . ' ■ 
0*0384 
L Potassium . 
0*0468 
It was digested for a few days in a closed flask with 40 grms. of cupric oxide at 
common temperatures, and finally decolorised by the raising of its temperature for a 
short time to 35° C. 
The contents of the flask were placed upon a filter and the oxide and sulphide 
washed with hot water. The volume of filtrate and wash water measured 1081 cub. 
centims. 
The analysis of the liquid gave the following results :— 
200 cub. centims. gave 0‘394 grm. of baric sulphate; according to these numbers 
1081 cub. centims. contain 1*589 grms. of potassic sulphate. 
312 cub. centims. were precipitated with manganous sulphate. From the pre¬ 
cipitate so obtained, 0*140 grm. of carbonic acid was developed by means of sulphuric 
acid, and 0*443 grm. of Mn 3 0 4 , prepared by the usual method. Hence, 1081 cub. 
centims. of filtrate contain 1*521 grms. of potassic carbonate and 0*708 grm. of 
potassium in the form of hydrate. 
139 cub. centims. of the liquid required 6*4 cub. centims. of iodine solution. 
Therefore, 1081 cub. centims. contain 0*945 grm. of potassic hyposulphite. 
200 cub. centims., evaporated with concentrated sulphuric acid, gave 1*069 grms. of 
potassic sulphate, containing 0*4793 grm. of potassium, or in 1081 cub. centims. 
2*590 grms. of potassium. 
From these data we find the following composition for the solution :— 
Potassic carbonate . 
„ sulphate . . 
,, sulphide . 
,, hyposulphite. 
Potassium . . . 
Composition of 
original solution. 
1*650 
1*188 
2*534 
0*114 
2*609 
Composition according 
to analysis. 
1*521 
I 
S =1*4366 
IK=1*0977J 
|S = 0*0384" 
1 K=0*0468_ 
1*589 
1*633 
0*945 
2*590 
|S =0*925 
lK=0*708 
|S =0*318 
LK=0*387 
The mixture of cupric oxide and sulphide, dissolved in concentrated nitric acid, 
yielded 8*16 grms. of baric sulphate, corresponding to 1*120 grms.'of sulphur. 
