Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Qualitative chemical analysis / by C. Remigius Fresenius. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
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![means so readily as tlie corresponding beryllia precipitate On boiling the solution of the pure hydrate in carbonate of ammonia, the whole of the yttria is deposited; if chloride of ammonium is also present, this is decomposed on long-continued boiling, with separation of ammonia and the precipitated yttna redissolves as chloride of yttrium. It should be borne m mind that saturated solutions of carbonate of yttria m carbonate of ammonia have a tendency to deposit carbonate of yttria and ammonia Oxalic acid pro- duces a white precipitate (difference between yttria and alumina and beryl- Ha) • this precipitate does not dissolve in oxalic acid, but it dissolves with difficulty in dilute hydrochloric acid, and is partially dissolved on boi ing with oxalate of ammonia; on dUuting and allowing it to cool the oxalate separates again almost completely (difference from thoria). Sulphate of yttria and potassa dissolves readily in water and in a solution of sul- phate of potassa (difference between yttria and thoria, zirconia, and the bases of cerite). Carbonate of baryta produces no precipitate m the cold (difference between yttria and alumina, thoria, oxide of cerium, and the oxides of lanthanum and didymium); the precipitation is incomplete even on boiling. Turmeric paper is not altered by acidified solutions of salt of yttria (difference between yttria and zirconia). Tartaric acid does not interfere with the precipitation of yttria by alkalies (characteristic dif- ference between yttria and alumina, beryllia, thoria, and zirconia); the precipitate is tartrate of yttria. The precipitation does not take place until after some time, but it is complete. Hyposulphite of soda does not precipitate yttria (difference between yttria and alumina, thoria, zirconia, and titanic acid). Hydrofluoric acid produces a precipitate (here yttria differs from alumina, beryllia, zirconia, and titanic acid); the precipitate is gelatinous, insoluble in water and hydrofluoric acid; before ignition it will dissolve in mineral acids, after ignition it is decomposed only by strong sulphuric acid. Yttria gives clear colourless beads with borax and micro- cosmic salt in both the outer and inner flame (difference between yttria and protoxide of cerium and oxide of didymium). _ _ Besides yttrium, a number of similar metals—erbium, terbium, ytterbium, scandium, thulium, decipium, philippium, &c.—occur in gadolinite, &c. As the investigation of these substances, however, cannot be regarded as being by any means complete, their behaviour and reactions will not be noticed here. 5. Oxides of Cerium. Cerium occurs rarely in Nature, chiefly as silicate of oxide of cerium in cerite and orthite, as phosphate in monacite, and combined with fluorine in fluocerite. It forms two oxides—oxide of cerium, Ge^O^ [CCjOj], also called cerous oxide; and dioxide of cerium, CeOo [CeOo], known also as cerium peroxide. Oxide of cerium, obtained by igniting dioxide of cerium, or the car- bonate or oxalate of oxide of cerium, in a current of hydrogen, forms a white or bluish-gray powder which rapidly absorbs oxygen from the air, and on heating is converted into the dioxide. The salts of oxide of cerium are ■white or colourless, and the aqueous solutions of the soluble salts are colour- less, have a sweet astringent taste, and do not yield absorption spectra. Chloride of cerium is not volatile (difference between cerium and aluminium, beryllium, and zirconium). On boiling a solution of sulphate of oxide of cerium, part of the salt is precipitated, but is redissolved on cooling. Cerite (hydrated silicate of oxide of cerium) is decomposed by fusion with carbonate of soda, and also by concentrated sulphuric acid. Potassa throws down a white hydrate, which, on exposure to the air, absorbs oxygen and becomes yellow. It does not dissolve in an excess of the precipitant (difference from alumina and beryllia). Ammonia precipitates a basic salt, which is insoluble in an excess of the precipitant. Tartaric acid prevents the pre- cipitation (difference from yttrium). Carbonate of ammonia produces a white amorphous precipitate of cerous carbonate, which gradually becomes](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21966953_0135.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
