Scientific American Supplement, No. 441, June 14, 1884. by Various
page 98 of 155 (63%)
page 98 of 155 (63%)
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of the solution, the strength of the current and secondary influences
(action of nascent hydrogen) is different in acid and in alkaline solutions. In acid solutions much peroxide is formed; in alkaline liquids, little or none. The reason of the difference is that ozone is evolved principally in acid solutions, but appears in small quantities only in alkaline liquids, or under certain circumstances not at all. The quantity of peroxide deposited depends also on the temperature of the saline solution; at ordinary temperatures the author obtained more peroxide--the solution, the time, and the strength of current being equal--than from a heated liquid. The cause is that ozone is destroyed by heat and converted into ordinary oxygen. With the exception of lead and thallium the quantity of metal deposited from an acid solution is always greater than that of the peroxide. _Lead._--Luckow has shown that from acid solutions--no matter what may be the acid--lead is deposited at the anode as a mixture of anhydrous and hydrated peroxide of variable composition. Only very strongly acid solutions let all their lead fall down as peroxide; the precipitation is rapid immediately on closing the circuit, and complete separation is effected only in presence of at least 10 per cent. of free nitric acid. As the current becomes stronger with the increase of free acid, there is deposited upon the first compact layer a new stratum of loosely adhering peroxide. In presence of small quantities of other metals which are thrown down by the current in the metallic state, such as copper, mercury, etc., peroxide alone is deposited from a solution of lead containing small quantities only of free nitric acid. The lead peroxide deposited is at first light brown or dark red, and |
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