Scientific American Supplement, No. 810, July 11, 1891Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 810, July 11, 1891
Various
Science -- Periodicals
A comparison of the delicacy of these tests with the ordinary
qualitative tests for antimony, mercury, lead, and copper by means of
sulphureted hydrogen, showed that the two were equally delicate in the
case of antimony and of copper, but that in that of mercury and of
lead the electrolytic test was at least eight times the more delicate.
These comparisons were made in aqueous solutions. In testing urine the
value of the electrolytic method is still more evident, for here the
color of the liquid interferes materially with the reliability of the
ordinary qualitative tests when only very small quantities of the
metals referred to are present.
Beyond the detection of mineral poisons, qualitative electrolysis can
only offer attraction to analysts in special cases, and the data on
the subject are to be found in the many electrolytic methods already
published. Beyond testing for gold and silver in this manner, I have
not therefore examined the applicability of these methods further.
The detection of small quantities of gold and silver is of
considerable importance, and advantage can be taken of the ease with
which they are separated from potassium cyanide solution by the
electric current for this purpose.
_Silver_.--Silver is obtained as chloride in the course of analysis.
To confirm for the metal electrolytically, this precipitate is
dissolved in potassium cyanide and the resulting solution electrolyzed
with a current of 1-1.5 c.c. A spiral of platinum wire is employed as
the anode, from which the silver may be dissolved by means of nitric
acid, and tested for by hydrochloric acid or by sulphureted hydrogen.
0.0001 grm. of silver in 150 c.c. of solution can be detected thus,
and one hour is sufficient for the deposition.
_Gold_.--Gold is deposited under similar conditions to silver from
cyanide solutions. The deposit, which is rather dark colored, can be
dissolved in aqua regia and confirmed for by the Cassius' purple test.
Here again 0.0001 grm. of metal in 150 c.c. of solution can be
detected without any difficulty.
As gold and silver are both extracted from quartziferous ores by
treatment with potassium cyanide solution according to the
MacArthur-Forrest process of gold extraction (this Journal, 1890,
267), this electrolytic method should prove very useful. By
electrolyzing the resulting solution a mixture of gold and silver will
be deposited upon the cathode, which can then be parted by nitric acid
and tested for as described.
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