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A L U M I N U X U S E D -1s Ah’ E L E C T R O D E .
nium sulphate, gives the weight of alcohol in one cc. of the sulphuric acid solution. If the original solution contains one per cent. or less of alcohol, draw 0.5 cc. into a roo-cc. flask and add about five cc. of concentrated sulphuric acid, keeping the liquid cool during the addition. Add ten cc. of the chromic acid solution and proceed as above. This determination will serve to indicate approximately how much alcohol there is in the solution so that in subsequent titrations enough of it can be taken to reduce from sixty to eighty per cent. of the chromic acid. T h e amount of sulphuric acid added in each case should be equal to about twice the volume of the solution of alcohol used. WESLEYAN r S I V E R S I T S . ? Y I I D D L E T O W S ,C O S N
A L U n I N U n USED AS AN ELECTRODE. BI GEORGEJ. H O U G H Received Februarr 3 , ,898
A
S the result of a number of experiments in quantitative chemical analysis by electrolysis, I take pleasure in sta-
ting that aluminum can be used as a substitute for platinum, as an electrode, though only to a limited extent. It can be used as the cathode with nitric acid solutions, and apparentlyisnot affected by the electrolytic action. Theoretically, it should not be affected as a cathode during the electrolysis, any more than the metals are affected which are precipitated there. It is unserviceable, however, as an anode, as it is readily oxidized at that pole and dissolved in the acid solution. Neither can it be used in sulphate or chloride solutions, as the free acid readily attacks it ; but i f the sulphate or chloride solution be changed to the double oxalate of potassium or ammonium, as recommended by Classen, the aluminurn cathode is not affected. This aluminum cathode can also be used with cyanide solutions, for although aluminum is readily attacked by hot solutions of potassium cyanide or oxalate, it apparently is not affected in the cold, even under electrolytic action. T h e idea of substituting aluminum for platinum as an electrode, was suggested to me by the fact that aluminum is not
LIQUID PHOSPHORUS.
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affected by hot or cold nitric acid, and metals plated on it could be readily dissolved off without injuring the electrode ; but as the best aluminum on the market is not quite pure, there is a possibility in time of a slight loss in weight. Even with this drawback, however, aluminum cathodes will be serviceable for ordinary commercial analysis, especially copper analysis, in which I think they would find their greatest field of usefulness. It has been suggested to me that aluminum, heavily plated with platinum, might be made to serve as an anode ; but of this I am somewhat doubtful, as I have not yet had opportunity to try it. This substitution of aluminum for platinum I make simply as a suggestion, for my experiments have not been numerous enough or minute enough to announce it as a scientific improvement, except in the case of copper analysis. But should it prove to be sufficiently adapted to the purpose which I have designated, it has two great advantages : first, as compared with platinum it is very much lighter, and its use would reduce the liability to error in the weight of the deposited metal, which is small as compared with the weight of the electrode ; second, it is vastly cheaper than platinum, costing only one-sixtieth as much in the manufactured condition.
NOTE ON LIQUID PHOSPHORUS. By F. P. VENABLE AND A . W.BELDEN. Recewed February r4* i898.
1
N 1875 Hourton and Thompson’ reported the formation of a peculiar modification of phosphorus formed on boiling ordinary phosphorus for five minutes with a strong solution of potash. T h e alkaline solution was poured off and the liquid phosphorus washed. It is said to remain liquid for months and solidifies only on cooling to 4-3.3’. It is further reported as not oxidizing in the air nor giving off light in the dark. On becoming solid it forms ordinary wax-like phosphorus and a second variety of crystalline phosphorus. These singular statements are cited in Dammer’s I ‘ Handbuch der anorganischen Chemie” and the chemical literature available to us has been searched in vain for any further mention of this 1
Avch. d . Pharm., (3), 6, 49.
