CAR

CAR ( 237 )

The gaffes thus taken up underwent no changeexcept of form; the refidues were unaltered,and the pieces of charcoal gave out the wholeof the refpective gaffes with which they hadbeen faturated on expofure to the heat of boilingwater. The abforptions were effected at a tem-perature between 48° and 64° Fahr. and fromrepeated experiments it appeared that in a greaterdegree of cold a larger proportion of the gaffeswould have been taken up. If charcoal fatu-rated with hydrogen in the manner above men-tioned is introduced into oxygen gas, or evenatmofpheric air, a confiderable abforption of theoxygen takes place and combines with the hy-drogen, forming water : at the fame time a quan-tity of caloric is given out fufficient to raife thethermometer from 52° to ioo°. The refult isthe fame if the experiment is inverted, that isif charcoal charged with oxygen is introducedinto hydrogen gas. Charcoal faturated withhydrogen is capable even of decompofing nitrousgas, abforbing the whole of its oxygen and leav-ing behind only azotic gas. Charcoal faturatedwith azot decompofes atmofpheric air, abforbingthe whole of its oxygen, but has no action onhydrogen.

Charcoal is capable of entering into perma-nent combination with feveral combuftible bo-dies. Its union with hydrogen will be treatedof under the article Carburetted Hydrogen.

The difcovery of carburetted fulphur is dueto Clement and Deformes, e and is thus prepared.Fill an earthen-ware tube with final] pieces andpowder of newly burnt charcoal, fix it in allanting direction in a furnace, and lute to thelower end a glafs tube dipping into fome watercontained in a receiver. Fallen a glafs tube alfoto the upper extremity of the earthen pipe, andfill it with fliort cylindrical pieces of fulphur,and fit a cork to the open end of the glafs tubewith a movable wire paffing through its centre,by which the pieces of fulphur may be pufhedat pleafure towards the earthen pipe. The ap-paratus being completed, light the furnace andheat the pipe very gradually: the gas containedin the charcoal will foon be given out, and asfoon as it ceafes caufe the fulphur by means ofthe wire to approach the heated part of theapparatus. Allow it to remain at fuch a dif-tance that it may melt as flowly as poffible andtrickle down among the charcoal, for if fuddenlyheated it will become party and materially im-P°de the fuccefs of the experiment. If thefeprecautions are duly obferved, a yellowifh oilyliquid will foon be obferved in the terminating

• An. de C

glafs tube, which will drop into the water ofthe receiver and collect at the bottom of theveffel, without at all uniting with the fuper-natant fluid. The carburet of fulphur thus ob-tained is a tranfparent liquid, colourlefs whenpure, but generally of a yellowifh green tinge,and of a difagreeable /lightly pungent odour,differing entirely however from that of fulphur-etted hydrogen. Very pure carburetted fulphurmay alfo be procured by diftilling together at a.high heat the fulphurets of antimony or mercurywith charcoal; but the fame procefs was triedineffectually with iron and copper pyrites. Thefpecific gravity of carburetted fulphur, thoughliable to fome variations, may be ftated at 1.3.It evaporates in the air with nearly the famerapidity as ether, and like this fluid finks thethermometer during the procefs in a moft re-markable degree. If a bell glafs full of wateris inverted in a bafon, and a little of this liquidis introduced, and the whole is then placedwithin the receiver of an air-pump, as foon asthe atmofpheric preffure is reduced to about 9inches of mercury, the carburet of fulphur willbegin to affume the gafeous ftate, will rife inlarge bubbles to the top of the bell glafs, with-out mixing with the water, which it will expel,and will again be reduced inftantaneoully andtotally to the liquid ftate upon reftoring theatmofpheric preffure. Upon the application o£flame, caiburetted fulphur takes fire and burnslike other inflammable liquors, it gives out afulphureous odour and depofits both fulphur andcharcoal. When kept in a clofed veffel alongwith atmofpheric or azotic gaffes, it is diflolvedby them in fmall proportion, and renders theminflammable. It combines with nitrous gas, andthe mixture burns with uncommon brilliancy,like zinc. It is taken up alfo by oxygen gas,and produces a detonating compound that ex-plodes with prodigioufly greater violence thanthe mixture of oxygen and hydrogen, fo as tomake it a highly dangerous experiment whenperformed even with comparatively fmall quan-tities. When in the ftate of vapour it combinesflowly with the cauftic fixed alkalies, formingdeep amber-coloured folutions. It unites withphofphorus, without however modifying its in-flammability : it takes up by digeftion a littlefulphur, but has no adtion on charcoal. Byalcohol it is reduced to a foft party confiftence.It diffolves in cold olive oil very eafily, depofitsa little charcoal, and then affumes a cryftallineform: the fame effedt happens when ether igfubrtituted for oil.

.xlii. p. 134.