CHLORATE OF POTASH.

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retort represented in fig. 287, p. 293. From the middle of the helmet-shapedlid of this vessel, a lead tube, two feet long, and two inches wide, conducts to the receiver,which is a square earthen pan, hard glazed both within and without, of the same capacityWith the retort. The end of the tube must be made fast to a frame at the height of sixinches above the bottom of the receiver. Upon its inner sides, four inches apartj bracketsare to be fixed for supporting a series of laths or shelves of white wood, on which a num-ber of little paper or pasteboard boxes are to be laid. In these boxes ten pounds of thePurest carbonate of potash, prepared from tarlar, are to be spread. The receiver mustnow be covered with a lid made tight by a water lute. Twenty pounds of concentratedsulphuric acid previously diluted with sixteen pounds of water, and then corded, are tobe poured upon the mixed materials in the retort, the lid immediately secured, with the.tube adjusted in the receiver. The whole must be allowed to operate spontaneously witli-ont heat for twelve hours. At the end of this time the retort is to be surrounded with aWater bath and steadily heated during twelve hours, and then left to cool for six hours.i ' e upparatus must now be opened, the cakes of chlorate of potash removed, and freedirom muriate by solution and crystallization.

M. Liebig proposes the following process for obtaining chlorate of potash :—

Heat chloride of lime in water till it ceases to destroy vegetable colors. In this case afixture of chloride of calcium and chlorate of potash is obtained. This is to be dissolvedJu hot water, and to the solution concentrated by evaporation, chloride of potassium is toe added, and then suffered to cool. After cooling, a quantity of crystals of chlorate ofPotash is obtained, which are to be redissolved and crystallized again to purify them. M.tebig considers that this will be a cheap process for obtaining chlorate of potash. Fromounces of chloride of lime, of so ■ bad a quality that it left 65 per cent, of insolubleTv’ *' e obtained an ounce of chlorate of potash,so ^ • ° n ^ r difficulty t° overcome in this process is, from the chloride of lime not beingin»“r' lly decomposed by heat as is generally supposed; a solution of it may be kept boil-_7y or an hour without losing its bleaching power. The best method is to form a thinQu' c * 1 ' 0I 't de lime and water, and then to evaporate it to dryness. If it be re-

u 'red to prepare it by passing chlorine into cream of lime, it is advantageous to keep itcry hot.

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Ihe f c l*l° r ate °f potash which separates from the solution by crystallization, has notby l0rm °f scales which it usually possesses, but is prismatic : whether this is occasionedm.., SC !* e admixture has not been ascertained; but on re-crystallizing, it is obtained in the'orm.

cry V ol “ tion ought not merely to be left to cool, in order to procure crystals, for theto k„ jzation is far from being terminated even after complete cooling: crystals continue10 deposited for 3 or 4 days!

Yj e e following modification of the process for making chlorate of potash is that of M.in a \ solution of chloride of lime, marking 18° or 20“ Baume,is to be set upon the fire

Ibant't °c Cast * ron P ot > an d w l' en ’1 begins to get hot, there is to be dissolved in it amust b^ttf c * 1 l° r ld e of potassium sufficient to raise the hydrometer 3 or 4 degrees. Itit does 6 an concentrated as quickly as possible till it marks 30“ or 31°, taking care thataside to" 01 over by H'e sudden extrication of oxygen. The concentrated liquor is set'With chi C1 X sta U* ze in a cool place; where a deposite of chlorate of potash forms, mixedafford an^tk P°lassium. The mother waters being evaporated to the.density of 36°,The sal er cro P °f crystals, after which they may be thrown away.beini> t, r ts obtained at the first crystallization are to be re-dissolved, and the solutionrate of n ® ht to 15° or 16“ is to be filtered, when it will afford upon cooling pure chlo-

C Wor a r ?h -

laste. i> , or ox ymuriate of potash has a cooling, somewhat unpleasant and nitrouslls boil; n „ ° e - S not bleach. At 60“ F. 100 parts of water dissolve six parts of it, and atgives out 3g > . 1 1 n i or 220“, sixty parts. When heated to dull ignition in a glass retort, itPoiassium -nr? P er cent - °f * ts weight of oxygen, and becomes thereby chloride ofcomes lum'ino ^ ,ron "'y triturated in a mortar it craclfles, throws out sparks, and be-s "lphur, or oh S " ? deflagrates upon red-hot cinders like nitre: when triturated along with°f Ihe operator T° rUS ’ ^ detonates with great violence, not without danger to the handsProduced with 1 ’’ 1101 P rote cted by a thick glove. Similar detonations may be

.1 they can bp lni ff M ° r Verm 'li° n , sulphuret of potassium, sugar, volatile oils, &c.,mixture of su°-ir e *‘ ecte d only by the smart blow of a heated hammer and anvil. APhuric acid and th^ starc b. with chlorate of potash is readily inflamed by a drop of sul-a . s they have been S ex P er ' men t is the basis of the preparation of the oxygenated matches.'Pping the said rmt < j ornmon L - called. The following formula forms a good paste forc chlorate in fin P C es> P^de of narrow slips of either wood or card. Thirty parts ofParts of flowers of snVr!h™ er « re be mixed gently with a spatula upon paper with ten'' l -' r milion to give it UI ' i . levigated, eight of sugar, five of gtlm arabic, and enoughe whole a rose tint. We begin by mixing tenderly together9