On the Decomposition of Concentrated Sulphuric Acid by Mercury at Ordinary Temperatures.

Abstract

U,08 and ZrO,, is fused with six to seven grams sodium bisulphate and the melt dissolved in cold water. The solution is mixed with fifty cc. hydrogen peroxide and poured into a casserole containing five grams pure sodium hydroxide dissolved in fifty cc. water and fifty cc. hydrogen peroxide. No precipitate forms at first, but after heating on the water-bath for a half hour the zirconium oxide settles to the bottom of the dish as a very heavy precipitate which is filtered and washed with hot water. The precipitate is easily dissolved by a warm mixture of hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide. This solution is boiled, precipitated with ammonia, washed at first with ammonium nitrate solution, then with water, ignited, and weighed as ZrO,.Zirconium dioxide taken. Zirconium dioxide found.Difference. 0.2150 0.2158 +0.0008In conclusion the author wishes to state that this work was suggested to him by Prof. Dr. P. Jannasch, of Heidelberg, over a year ago, and much of the work was done in his laboratory, but as the results then obtained were not entirely satisfactory, it was not published at that time.