The use of the blowpipe, in the qualitative and quantitative examination of minerals, ores, furnace products and other metallic combinations / Edited, with emendations, by Dr. Sheridan Muspratt. With a preface by Baron Liebig.

  • Karl Friedrich Plattner
Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The use of the blowpipe, in the qualitative and quantitative examination of minerals, ores, furnace products and other metallic combinations / Edited, with emendations, by Dr. Sheridan Muspratt. With a preface by Baron Liebig. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Examination for Soda. When a soda compound is smelted in the apex of the blue flame, the soda is readily recognized, from the reddish yellow color given to the outer flame. The flame partakes of this color, but in a less degree, even when the body contains a large quantity of potassa or lithia. According to Von Kobell, when chloride of potassium is mixed with l-25th or I-30th part of chloride of sodium, only the soda reaction is given. The splinter from the soda mineral is held like that of potassa, in the points of the platinum forceps, when the soda reaction ensues. § 3. LITHIA — [L O].—Presence in the Mineral Kingdom. This alkali is found always in combination, as in,— {a) Amblygonite, which is a Phosphate of Alumina and Lithia, mixed sometimes with a fluorine compound; its for¬ mula is [2 L 0, P + 4 AP O', 3 P OT ; {b) Many Silicates of different bases; as, for example, in Petalite [3 4 Si 0^ -f 4 (AP O', 4 Si 0^) ], it contains also hydrofluoric acid; Lithion Spodumetie [ 3 L O, 2 Si 0^ + AP O', 2 Si 0^] ; Tourmaline, Lepidolite, and many other Micas which contain hydrofluoric acid. Examination for Lithia. Compounds of lithia, when heated in the apex of the blue flame, upon the platinum wire, tinge the outer flame crimson. This characteristic appearance is best shown with the chloride of lithium. When the chloride is mixed with a salt of potassa, the red color alone is produced. When, on the con¬ trary, the salt of lithia is contaminated with a salt of soda, then the reaction of soda only is observable; and this is also the case when a lithia salt contains both potassa and soda salts. Lithion minerals, as, for example, Lithion-mica from Alten-