when heated intermittingly or with a flame which changes often from oxidation to reduction, or with an unsteady flame produced by too strong a blast. The reason is an incomplete fusion, while from the basic borate compound a part of the base is separated. As the boracic acid is capable of dissolving more in the heat, a bead will be clear while hot, enamelled when cold, as a part in the latter instance will become separated.
(2.) Whether the substance dissolves easily or not, and whether it intumesces from arising gases.
(3.) Whether the bead, when exposed to the oxidation flame, exhibits any color, and whether the color remains after the bead shall have cooled, or whether the color fades.
(4.) Whether the bead exhibits any other reaction in the reduction flame.
The bead should not be overcharged with the substance under examination, or it will become colored so deeply as not to present any transparency, or the color light enough to discern its hue.
8. Microcosmic Salt—Phosphate of Soda and Ammonia—(NaO, NH4O + PO5).—Dissolve six parts of phosphate of soda (2NaO, HO, PO5), and one part of pure chloride of Ammonium (NH4Cl.), in two parts of boiling water, and allow it to cool. The greatest part of the formed double salt crystallizes, while the mother-liquid contains chloride of sodium, and some of the double salt. The crystals must be dissolved in as little boiling water as possible, and re-crystallized. These crystals must be dried and powdered.
When this double salt is heated, the water and the ammonia escape, while the incombustible residue has a composition similar to borax, viz., a free acid and an easily fusible salt. The effect of it is, therefore, similar to the borax. The free phosphoric acid expels, likewise, most other acids from their combinations, and combines with metallic oxides.
For supports, the platinum wire may be used, but the hook must be smaller than when borax is used, or the bead will not adhere. As for all the other experiments with this salt, the microscosmic salt is used the same as borax.
9. Nitrate of Cobalt.—(CoO, NO5).—This salt can be prepared by dissolving pure oxide of cobalt in diluted nitric acid, and evaporating to dryness with a low heat. The dry residue should be dissolved in ten parts of water, and filtered. The filtrate is now ready for use, and should be kept in a bottle with a glass stopper. If the pure oxide of cobalt cannot be procured, then it may be prepared by mixing two parts of finely powdered glance of cobalt with four parts of saltpetre, and one part of dry carbonate of potassa with one part of water free from carbonate of soda. This mixture should be added in successive portions into a red-hot Hessian crucible, and the heat continued until the mass is fused, or at least greatly diminished in volume. The cooled mass must be triturated with hot water, and then heated with hydrochloric acid until it is dissolved and forms a dark green solution, which generally presents a gelatinous appearance, occasioned by separated silica. The solution is to be evaporated to dryness, the dry residue moistened with hydrochloric acid, boiled with water, filtered and neutralized while hot with carbonate of ammonia, until it ceases to give an acid reaction with test-paper. This must now be filtered again, and carbonate of potassa added to the filtrate as long as a precipitate is produced. This precipitate is brought upon a filter and washed thoroughly, and then dissolved in diluted nitric acid. This is evaporated to dryness, and one part of it is dissolved in ten parts of water for use.
The oxide of cobalt combines, with strong heat in the oxidation flame, with various earths and infusible metallic oxides, and thus produces peculiarly colored compounds, and is therefore used for their detection; (alumina, magnesia, oxide of zinc, oxide of tin, etc.) Some of the powdered substance is heated upon charcoal in the flame of oxidation, and moistened with a drop of the solution of the nitrate of cobalt, when the oxidation flame is thrown upon it. Alumina gives a pure blue color, the oxide of zinc a bright green, magnesia a light red, and the oxide of tin a bluish-green color; but the latter is only distinctly visible after cooling.
The dropping bottle, is the most useful apparatus for the purpose of getting small quantities of fluid. It is composed of a glass tube, drawn out to a point, with a small orifice. This tube passes through the cork of the bottle. By pressing in the cork into the neck of the bottle, the air within will be compressed, and the liquid will rise in the tube. If now we draw the cork out, with the tube filled with the fluid, and pressing the finger upon the upper orifice, the fluid can be forced out in the smallest quantity, even to a fraction of a drop.
10. Tin.—This metal is used in the form of foil, cut into strips about half an inch wide. Tin is very susceptible of oxidation, and therefore deprives oxidized substances of their oxygen very quickly, when heated in contact with them. It is employed in blowpipe analysis, for the purpose of producing in glass beads a lower degree of oxidation, particularly if the substance under examination contains only a small portion of such oxide. These oxides give a characteristic color to the bead, and thus are detected. The bead is heated upon charcoal in the reduction flame, with a small portion of the tin, whereby some of the tin is melted and mixes with the bead. The bead should be reduced quickly in the reduction flame, for by continuing the blast too great a while, the oxide of tin separates the other oxides in the reduced or metallic state, while we only require that they shall only be converted into a sub-oxide, in order that its peculiar color may be recognized in the bead. The addition of too much tin causes the bead to present an unclean appearance, and prevents the required reaction.
11. Silica (SiO3).—This acid does not even expel carbonic acid in the wet way, but in a glowing heat it expels the strongest volatile acids. In blowpipe analysis, we use it fused with carbonate of soda to a bead, as a test for sulphuric acid, and in some cases for phosphoric acid. Also with carbonate of soda and borax, for the purpose of separating tin from copper.
Finely powdered quartz will answer these purposes. If it cannot be procured, take well washed white sand and mix it with two parts of carbonate of soda and two parts of carbonate of potassa. Melt the materials together, pound up the cooled mass, dissolve in hot water, filter, add to the filtrate hydrochloric acid, and evaporate to dryness. Moisten the dry residue with hydrochloric acid, and boil in water. The silica remains insoluble. It should be washed well, dried, and heated, and then reduced to powder.
12. TEST-PAPERS.—(a.) Blue, Litmus Paper.—Dissolve one part of litmus in six or eight parts of water, and filter. Divide the filtrate into two parts. In one of the parts neutralize the free alkali by stirring it with a glass rod dipped in diluted sulphuric acid, until the fluid appears slightly red. Then mix the two parts together, and draw slips of unsized paper, free from alkali, such as fine filtering paper. Hang these strips on a line to dry, in the shade and free from floating dust. If the litmus solution is too light, it will not give sufficient characteristic indications, and if too dark it is not sensitive enough. The blue color of the paper should be changed to red, when brought in contact with a solution containing the minutest trace of free acid; but it should be recollected that the neutral salts of the heavy metals produce the same change.
(b.) Red Litmus Paper.—The preparation of the red litmus paper is similar to the above, the acid being added until a red color is obtained. Reddened litmus paper is a very sensitive reagent for free alkalies, the carbonates of the alkalies, alkaline earths, sulphides of the alkalies and of the alkaline earths, and alkaline salts with weak acids, such as boracic acid. These substances restore the original blue color of the litmus.
(c.) Logwood Paper.—Take bruised logwood, boil it in water, filter, and proceed as above. Logwood paper is a very delicate test for free alkalies, which impart a violet tint to it. It is sometimes used to detect hydrofluoric acid, which changes its color to yellow.
All the test-papers are to be cut into narrow strips, and preserved in closely stopped vials. The especial employment of the test-papers we shall allude to in another place.
B. ESPECIAL REAGENTS
13.
