ON THE PREPARATION OP SUCCINIC ACID. 349 
ART. LXXXVIL— ON THE PREPARATION OF SUCCINIC ACID 
FROM MALATE OF LIME. 
By Prof. Liebig. 
The highly important and beautiful observations of Des- 
saignes on this subject induced me to examine whether the 
malate of lime might not be converted more rapidly and 
perfectly into succinate of lime by an ordinary process of 
fermentation than by the plan proposed by that chemist, 
and whether an advantageous method of manufacturing 
succinic acid on a large scale might not be founded upon it. 
These experiments have been crowned with complete 
success. The decomposition of the malate of lime can be 
effected far more easily and rapidly than the conversion of 
the lactate of lime into butyrate, by employing the same fer- 
ment as is used in the butyric acid fermentation. The malic 
acid is decomposed under these circumstances into succinic, 
acetic and carbonic acids. 
When to a mixture of 1 part malate of lime and 5 to 6 
parts of water the tenth part of the volume of the water of 
ordinary yeast is added, a pretty lively evolution of gas 
soon ensues when the mixture is placed in a warm situation. 
The gas which is disengaged is pure carbonic acid, and is 
absorbed without the least residue by potash. 
After three days an essential change in the form of the 
malate of lime is perceptible ; it becomes granular, heavy 
and crystalline, and in the course of the fermentation these 
granulesincrease constantly in size. When the fermentation 
is complete, i. e. when the evolution of gas has ceased, the 
mixture loses on agitation its muddy condition ; the granules 
appear under the microscope to be composed of stellate 
groups of transparent needles, which quickly subside like 
heavy sand when stirred. These crystals consist of a 
double salt of succinate of lime with carbonate of lime. The 
supernatant liquid contains acetate of lime. 
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