CHEMICAL NEWS,

Jan. 24, 1863.

of kitchen-stuff, ship-fat, and other dark-coloured refuse fats and grease.

2661. Improvements in Magnets, Induction Coils, and in Insulating Wire and Metal for Electric and other Purposes. T. MORRIS, R. WEARE, and E. H. MONCKTON, Trafalgar Square, London. Dated October 24, 1861. FOR the manufacture of large permanent magnets, the patentees employ cast iron, afterwards decarbonising this metal by heating in hæmatite, or by any of the known methods. In this soft state they are filed and manipulated | until their figure is tolerably perfect; then "case-phosphates they contain, the residue being then acted upon hardened;" after which they are susceptible of becoming strongly magnetised, and will retain their power for a longer period than the ordinary steel magnets. The other subjects included in the specification are of minor

interest.

2664. Improvements in Heating Steel and Iron, and in Hardening and Tempering Steel, and in Apparatus employed therein. J. CHESTERMAN, Sheffield. Dated October 24, 1861.

IRRESPECTIVE of improvements in the construction of apparatus, this invention consists in the use of a flux of readily fusible saline substances, such as bisulphate of potash, common salt, chloride of calcium, chloride of zinc, and borax; either of these, taken separately or mixed according to the application, is fused in a bath or suitable vessel through which the article of steel or iron is passed. When raised to the proper temperature the metal is with. drawn from the melted composition, and plunged into water, oil, or other fluid commonly used in the processes of hardening and tempering.

2665. Preservation of Food.

J. MCCALL, Houndsditch, Dated October 24, and B. G. SLOPER, Walthamstow. 1861.

In order to absorb the oxygen of the air from the tins in which provisions are ordinarily preserved, the patentees make use of the sulphite of soda, which is said to be in no way injurious to the food, or to the health of persons partaking of it.

2707. Manufacture of Spelter. F. BENNETT, Bagillt, Flintshire. Dated October 29, 1861.

In the process of manufacturing spelter from calcined zinc | ores, whether calamine or blende, the inventor mixes a certain proportion of common salt (usually 4 per cent., by weight, of the calcined ore employed) with the coal and other ingredients, and subjects the mixture to distillation, the products being collected in the usual manner. Instead of common salt, hydrochloric acid or the chloride of calcium may be employed.

It is difficult to attribute to the chloride-flux any special efficacy in the retention of lead and other impurities; the only way in which it is likely to be serviceable is by fritting together the matters in the retort, and so contrimore intimate buting to their better incorporation or union, and, consequently, to a larger yield of sublimed zinc.

2702. Soap. J. WATT, Walworth; and T. S. HAVISIDE, Cornhill. Dated October 29, 1861.

2677. Treating Bones and Gelatine. T. RICHARDSON, Newcastle-upon-Tyne; and R. IRVINE, Harlet, Renfrewshire. Dated October 25, 1861. (Not proceeded with.) THE bones are first treated with muriatic acid, or dilute sulphuric acid, to dissolve out a portion of the mineral with sulphurous acid; or, these chemical agents may be employed in the converse order. In either case, the gelatine obtained is treated with an alkaline sulphite or hyposulphite (to serve at once both as sizing and "antichlore" in paper-making?), or it may be treated with the phosphates or silicate of an alkali, or with the sulphurous acid solution of the diphosphates of lime and magnesia. By any of these processes, the hardness and sizing properties of gelatine from any source is stated to be very considerably improved.

Grants of Provisional Protection for Six Months. 3123. Johan Wilhelm Hjerpe, Wilhelm Holmgren, and Adolphe Victor Sunstedt, Stockholm, Sweden, "An improved composition or preparation of materials applicable for igniting matches."-Petition recorded November 20, 1862.

3389. Jules Pernod, Avignon, France, “ A production derived from madders, called 'purpurine.'"

3390. John Savory, Bond Street, London, "A new or improved apparatus for the inhalation of medicinal powders or vapours for the treatment of diseases of the throat and lungs."-A communication from John Roberts, Paris.

3412. John McLean, Broxburn, Linlithgow, N.B., "Improved apparatus or arrangements for obtaining oil and other products from shale and the like bituminous minerals.'

3423. Richard Archibald Brooman, Fleet Street, London, "A new or improved colouring matter or dye."-A communication from Pierre Chalamel, Puteaux, France.

3427. George Haseltine, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, "Improvements in the mode of, and apparatus for, converting petroleum or coal oil into gas for lighting and heating, the said improvements being especially applicable to lamps and stoves."-A communi. cation from James Rhodes, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.

3430. Thomas Callender Hinde, Cardiff, Glamorganshire, "Improvements in furnaces or apparatus for generating carbonic oxide."

3450. Charles Jones Denton, New Broad Street, London, "An improvement in the process of revivifying animal charcoal."-Petitions recorded December 24, 1862.

3266. Phineas Cowan, Hammersmith Bridge Soap Works, Barnes, Surrey, "An improved method of purifying gas.”—Petition recorded December 5, 1862.

3280. John Joce, Colchester, Essex, "An improved composition or compositions for producing artificial sea water, or the odour or effects of sea water."-Petitions recorded December 6, 1862.

Notices to Proceed.

2348. Harper Twelvetrees, Bromley, Middlesex, "Improvements in the preparation of washing powders, soap powders, and cleansing crystals."

2410. John Henry Johnson, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, "Improvements in coating or covering metallic surfaces with copper."-A communication from Charles François Leopold Oudry, Paris, France.

2419. John Watt, Graham Street, Walworth, Surrey, and Thomas Snaith Haviside, Cornhill, London, "An improved method of treating flax and other similar vegetable fibrous substances to be used as substitutes for cotton." THE patentees claim the use, in the manufacture of pale-Petitions recorded September 1, 1862. yellow soap, of the fatty acids obtained in the distillation

2434. Charles Garton, Bristol, "An improved method

CorrespondenceMiscellaneous,

THE CHEMICAL NEWS.

VOL. VII. No. 165.-January 31, 1863.

SCIENTIFIC AND ANALYTICAL
CHEMISTRY.

On the Separation of Copper from Nickel, by M. P. DEWILDE, Professor at the Institute of Gembloux. THE process for separating these two metals, founded on the precipitation of copper by sulphuretted hydrogen, leaves much to be desired on account of the facility with which sulphide of copper, after washing, passes to the state of sulphate; and also because copper, during precipitation, always carries with it a considerable amount of nickel, which passes to the state of sulphide in the precipitate.

A good method of separation is an important desideratum where copper and nickel alloys are used for coinage, as is the case in Belgium, Switzerland, and elsewhere.

The following process has been studied at the desire of M. Melsens, who wished me to take as a starting. point the property possessed by glucose of precipitating copper as a suboxide, when that metal exists in the form of tartrate dissolved by the aid of caustic potash. The operation is as follows :-

Dissolve about two grammes of alloy in hydrochloric acid, with the addition of nitric acid; evaporate the excess of acid, and dissolve the two chlorides in about fifty grammes of water. To the solution add of pure cream of tartar, double the weight of the alloy. Heat slightly, to favour the solution, and add, little by little, a solution of caustic potash in alcohol. The first additions of alkali precipitate the oxide of copper and nickel in the state of hydrates; but an excess of potash re-dissolves the whole, tartrates of copper and nickel being soluble in potash.

A blue liquid is thus obtained, which, after cooling, is treated by a solution of pure glucose or inverted sugar, and boiled for one or two minutes.

The copper is precipitated as a beautiful red suboxide, sinking quickly to the bottom of the vessel, but sometimes forming in flakes, which it is difficult to wash unless the solution is cooled before adding the glucose. The alkalinity of the liquid and the complete precipitation of the copper is ascertained by adding a drop of the sugared liquid.

The precipitated suboxide of copper is washed, dried, and calcined. The suboxide is changed into nitrate, in which the copper can be estimated by M. Pelouze's volumetric method, or by transforming the nitrate into oxide by calcination.

The filtered liquid containing the nickel is evaporated to dryness, the residuum incinerated, and then washed to remove the carbonate of potash; and, as the incinera tion can never be complete, on account of the presence of this salt, it must be repeated.

The residuum, formed principally of oxide of nickel,

is dissolved in aqua regia, from which the hydrated oxide of nickel is precipitated by potash. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to wash this very voluminous oxide, and we prefer to content ourselves with an incomplete washing, and to dry and slightly calcine the oxide. If it is now pounded in an agate mortar, it is easily freed from the last trace of potash by washing in warm water. The oxide thus obtained is reduced in a platinum crucible in a hydrogen atmosphere, and the metallic nickel is weighed.

The following, among other analyses, are the results obtained in separating alloys procured from the Brussels mint:

These two alloys were free from iron and zinc, but contained traces of silicium. The legal standard of the binary alloy, copper and nickel, adopted by the Belgian mint is-copper, 75, nickel, 25.

We have ascertained (by operating on two grammes of alloy) that copper, during precipitation, takes with it barely two milligrammes of nickel, and that the nickel contains scarcely an appreciable trace of copper. -Bulletin de la Société Chimique de Paris.

TECHNICAL CHEMISTRY.

Browning Iron and Steel Objects, by M. SAUErwein. GUN-BARRELS and other objects in iron and steel are browned, either to improve their appearance, or to preserve them from rust, by giving them at first a thin The following but entire coating of oxide of iron. process is successfully employed in Prussia for browning steel barrels :

-

Dissolve two parts of crystallised ferric chloride, two parts of butter of antimony, and one part of gallic acid, in the smallest possible quantity of water (about four or five parts); with this moisten a sponge or cloth, and rub the object to be browned. Leave it to dry in the air, and repeat the operation several times. Then wash with water, dry, and rub with boiled linseed oil.

Objects browned in this way have a very agreeable dead grey appearance, and the shade deepens according to the number of times the operation is repeated. It is essential to the success of the operation, that solid butter

50

General Considerations on the Constitution of Iron, &c.

of antimony should be used, that is to say, a chloride of antimony containing as little free hydrochloric acid as possible.-Dingler, Polyt. Journ., vol. clxv., p. 237.

Jan. 31, 1863.

crucible. If it became still, some pieces of rough ore were thrown in to agitate it.

The cast-iron obtained is motiled. The Aoste cre is the same, but it yields only grey cast-iron. By analysing the Swedish cast-iron used for ordnance, M. Sobrero General Considerations on the Constitution of Iron, Cast- ascertained the reason of this difference: they contained Iron, and Steel, and their Application to the Manu-zinc. This gives the key to the nature of the cast-iron. facture of Gun Barrels, by M. LE GÉNÉRAL SOBRERO, of Turin.

IN the memoir bearing the above title, the author admits that nitrogenised compounds act as introducers of carbon, as will be explained further on; but he by no means admits as proved that nitrogen is an indispensable element in the constitution of steel.

M. Sobrero considers steel as always an intimate and homogeneous combination of a larger or smaller quantity of carbon and iron; but, to ensure the goodness and durability of steel, and its resistance to successive heatings, it must contain a metallic oxide difficult of reduction, and capable of solution in the steely mass, just as suboxide of copper dissolves in copper. The memoir attributes this property to oxides of manganese, titanium, and tungsten.

This idea dates, says the general, from the year 1829. Being at that time director of the chemical laboratory of the arsenal at Turin, he experimented on the cementing of the iron of the valley of Aoste. This iron is procured from ores identical with those of Dannémora, in Sweden, except that they contain no manganese. The cement used, in addition to pulverised coal, consists of soot, of leather and horn cuttings, and of sea salt. Steel obtained in this way is of unequal grain, and burns easily. In 1834, M. Sobrero, after explaining his hypotheses to the Council of Mines, entered into an arrangement with a manufacturer for introducing oxide of manganese into the Aoste iron. At the first stage in the fining of the cast-iron, he wished to add a certain quantity of silicate of manganese as a substitute for the iron added, to cast-iron in the fining process called bergamasque. M. Sobrero, being called to take the general direction of the artillery materials, could not carry out his projected experiments.

The Aoste iron is purer than that of Savoy, but the latter contains more manganese. Comparative experiments on the resistance of the wires of these two irons all resulted in favour of the Savoy iron.

Other experiments on the Aoste iron and that of Bienne, in Switzerland, prove the superiority of the latter, which, though less pure, contains manganese.

M. Sobrero reminds us that the most celebrated arms, as those of Milan and Toledo, were made from manganesian iron ores. In short, it is now a usual practice to add materials containing manganese during the refining, or to the puddling furnaces, or in Bessemer's cupola.

All these disputed points tended to strengthen the author's opinion that, to be good and durable, steel must contain oxide of manganese, titanium, or tungsten, or even aluminium, as the Wootz steel does.

M. Sobrero then adduces some more facts tending to elucidate the action of the above-mentioned oxides.

In 1839, the general, being charged by his government with the casting of some pieces of cast-iron ordnance in Sweden, had an opportunity of fully carrying out this method.

The furnaces and the fusing processes were the same as those of Aoste, so managed that the cast-iron was never allowed to remain perfectly quiescent in the

Zinc has a tendency to volatilise, and thus causes a con

stant movement in the mass until the moment of its becoming solid. Thus, the cooling taking place very gradually, the carbon cannot separate itself from the iron, and white cast-iron is the result.

Arsenic produces the same effect as zinc.

The manganesian ores yielding white cast-iron, whilst those which do not contain it are grey, M. Sobrero draws the conclusion that, in the first case, there must have been a molecular movement, and that this movement is produced by the protoxide of manganese which is dissolved in the cast-iron in the presence of carbon. Oxide of manganese has become converted into protoxide, which has a strong affinity for oxygen-an affinity which is disputed by that of carbon; but, as one never dominates over the other, an uncertain state of equilibrium is produced. The cast-iron is agitated until the moment it solidifies. For this reason the carbon cannot crystallise separately, but remains in combination, and hence the cast-iron is white.

All that has been said about cast-iron applies equally well to steel.

The manganesian and non-manganesian cast-irons, which contain phosphorus, being sometimes white, M. Sobrero explains this fact by supposing that, when the ores contain earthy phosphates, these phosphates are not reduced, but are dissolved in the cast-iron. A state of uncertain equilibrium results, because of the affinity of earthy phosphates and carbon for oxygen, and the castiron obtained is white. If the cast-iron is completely freed from earthy metals, the phosphate can exist only as phosphide. It cannot whiten the cast-iron, as it produces no molecular movement.

Sulphur can exist in cast-irons only as a sulphide, the sulphates being easily reduced; and the result is, that sulphur exerts no blanching effect on cast-iron.

M. Sobrero has applied the preceding principles to steck, which is nothing more than refined cast-iron, containing a smaller proportion of carbon. He supposes a steel composed exclusively of iron and carbon. If heated and tempered, the carbon cannot separate from it; but if allowed to cool slowly, the separation is effected; but this will not be the case if the steel contains oxide of manganese. In fact, the greater part of the carbon will then remain in combination, and the steel will better preserve its characteristic properties, since it is combined carbon only which acts on the nature of the iron. All this applies to both natural and cast steel. The first always contains manganese, and oxide of manganese is usually placed in the crucibles in which steel is fused.

Cemented steel produced from Swedish i on presents an exception. It contains manganese no longer in the state of oxide, but in a metallic state. According to the author, the reducing, and at the same time cementing, agent is protocarburetted hydrogen proceeding from the action of water (contained in the carbon and in air) on the excess of carbon. Carburetted hydrogen, indecomposable by heat alone, is, on the contrary, easily decomposable by a body bearing an affinity for one of its elements. Here the affinity is double: hydrogen combines with oxygen, and carbon with iron. As the oxide of manganese is evenly distributed in the mass of iron,

GREMICAL NEWS

Jan. 31, 1863.

On a Reagent Suitable for Detecting Beetroot Alcohol.

the carbon is deposited regularly, and the steel produced is homogeneous. With ordinary irons, on the contrary, the cementation is very irregular. Cemented steels produced from Swedish iron are the most homogeneous known. It is, consequently, impossible to obtain steels in Germany, Styria, or the Pyrenees so homogeneous as those of Sweden, because the manganesian irons are never homogeneous-homogeneousness being essential to the success of the cementation.

Cemented steels are inferior to natural or cast-steels; successive heatings transform them into hard iron, and then into soft. This fact, ascertained by Karstein and Valerius, is attributable to the absence of oxide of manganese in cemented steels.

When the iron contains no oxide of manganese, the author is of opinion that protocarburetted hydrogen would exert very little action, and that, where cementation by the flame of lighting gas is successful, the iron used most probably contained oxide of manganese.

When iron contains no oxide of manganese, cyanides take part in the cementation. According to M. Sobrero, dull red is the temperature most favourable to the formåtion of metallic nitrides, and of nitride of iron in particular, at this temperature the action of the carbon being null. By raising the temperature, the nitride is decomposed, and the carbon is at liberty to enter into combination with the iron. This granted, when the temperature of cementation cases reaches dull red, the cyanogen will decompose on the iron, and thus produce nitride; the temperature being further raised during the process, the nitride will become decomposed, and the carbon will take the place of the nitrogen, which will have acted as a preparing agent.

51

stability of the steel decreases with each heating; the combined carbon diminishes, and the steel easily changes to hard, or even soft, iron.—Répertoire de Chimie Pure et Appliquée.

PHARMACY, TOXICOLOGY, &c.

On a Re-agent Suitable for Detecting Beetroot Alcohol, by M. CABASSE.

M. CABASSE proposes sulphuric acid as a precise re-agent for beetroot alcohol.

By mixing three parts, in weight, of this alcohol with one part of sulphuric acid, a red colour is immediately produced, which preserves its intensity for several months. No similar result is produced by operating with vinous alcohol. On operating with perfectly colourless alcohol, the liquid does not change directly, but after a shorter or longer time takes a slightly amber tint; this amber tint, which belongs to alcohols which have remained a certain time in cask, is heightened only by sulphuric acid, since it existed previously, but has no analogy with the red colour of beetroot alcohol.

The following are the results obtained by the action of sulphuric acid on mixtures of definite proportions :1. Vinous alcohol, three parts; beetroot alcohol, one part; red colour, apparent only with a white paper placed behind the flask.

2. Vinous alcohol, two parts; beetroot alcohol, two parts; decided red colour.

3. Vinous alcohol, one part; beetroot alcohol, three parts; red colour still more decided.

It is then easy, by means of pure sulphuric acid, to

For the above reasons, it is probable that steel pre-recognise immediately beetroot alcohol and its mixture pared in this way will never be so homogeneous as that furnished by an iron containing oxide of manganese heated in the ordinary cementing medium. Cementation of the manganesian irons by cyanides would succeed badly, or, in any case, not so well as cementation by protocarburetted hydrogen; it is best, then, in this case, to employ simple cement.

The hypothesis adduced in this paper seems adapted to account for the facts. To confirm it, it would be necessary to prove that all good steels contain manganese, and that natural and cast-steels contain it in a state of oxide. As to the first fact, a large number of steels do contain manganese, and researches on this point will probably show this to be general. As to the second fact, M. Sobrero believes that the constant losses undergone by steel and iron treated by hydrogen can only result from the presence of oxygen in the iron,

The conclusions derived from M. Sobrero's paper are— That all cast-iron in which no molecular movement is produced, is grey or black after one cooling.

That cast-iron, in which there has been a molecular movement, is white when properly cooled. This applies when the cast-iron contains manganese, titanium, or tungsten. Cast-iron when refined will, in this case, give an excellent natural stcel, or an iron which, by cementation, will produce the best obtainable cemented steel. That, after slow cooling, cast-iron will be equally white if it contain zinc or arsenic.

The preceding conclusions, relative to oxides of manganese, titanium, and tungsten, are applicable to steels, and serve to explain how natural and cast-steels containing these oxides resist several heatings, the carbon being always in intimate combination with the iron. In cemented steels, on the contrary, where oxide of manganese is reduced, at least partially, to a metallic state, the

in various proportions with vinous alcohol. The coloration produced by using the re-agent in the given proportions is due most probably to the action of the acid on the volatile oil, from which it has hitherto been found impossible to free the alcohol, to which it communicates its peculiar flavour and odour.-Répertoire de Pharmacie.

Quantitative Estimation of Starch,

by H. DRAGEndorff.

IN order to effect the quantitative estimation of starch in a given material, the author recommends that the dried substance should be digested in an alcoholic solution of potash, containing 5 or 6 per cent. of hydrate of potash in nearly absolute alcohol. The digestion should take place at 100°, and in a close vessel, and continue for from 18 to 30 hours. Two or three grammes of the dried substance require from 25 to 30 grammes of the alcoholic solution of potash. By this operation, all the proteine substances are rendered soluble in either alcohol or water, the fat is saponified, and the sugar and dextrine may be easily washed out. Some of the mineral acids are also taken up by the solution. The starch granules remain unaffected: the same is the case with the cellulose, mucilage, cortical matters and salts; but the whole is so disintegrated as to enable the other reagents to act quickly and perfectly. After the digestion is finished, the liquid is filtered. If an oily plant be experimented with, the mixture must be filtered hot, the residue on the filter washed with hot absolute alcohol, cold alcohol, and, lastly, with cold water, until exhausted. When mucilaginous seeds are operated on, the water used for washing must contain 8 or 10 per cent. of alcohol. The residue on the filter must now be dried,