Page:Experimental researches in chemistry and.djvu/425

400 wanting in adherence; pressure brings out the full metallic lustre in every part, and in the thin places converts the colour from brown to blue, being in that respect like the result with pale gold-leaf; in which the silver present dominates over the colour of the gold. I do not think there is phosphorus combined with this silver; I did not find any, and considering the surface action on metals which float as films between air and water, it seems improbable that it should be there.

Hydrogen was employed to reduce some of the metals, their solutions being placed in an atmosphere of the gas. The action differed considerably from that of phosphorus, as might be expected. Gold produced a very thin film, too thin to be washed; it had a faint metallic reflexion, and transmitted a. slate-blue colour like the former films. Platinum chloride was acted on at once; minute spots appeared here and there on the surface; these enlarged, became rough and corrugated at the middle, though brilliant at the edges, and at last formed an irregular coat over the fluid; at the part where the film was flat and brilliant, it resembled that produced by the electric explosion, and by transmission gave a dark grey colour. Iridium required much time, and formed a crust from centres like the platinum. Palladium gave an instant action, but most of the reduced metal sank in a finely divided state; a film may be obtained, but it has very little adhesion. Rhodium is reduced, but the film consists of floating particles, having so little adhesion that it cannot be gathered up. Silver is reduced, but the film is very thin and has no tenacity.

A copper film of very beautiful character may be obtained as follows in all varieties of thickness. Let a little oxide of copper be dissolved in olive-oil to form a bath, and having immersed some plates of glass, for which purpose microscope plates 3 × 1 inches are very convenient, let the whole be heated up to the decomposing temperature of the oil; being left to cool, and the plates then drained and washed successively in camphine and alcohol, they will be found covered with a film of copper, having the proper metallic lustre and colour by reflexion; and by transmission, presenting a green colour, which, though generally inclining to olive, is in the thinner films often more beautiful than the green presented by pressed gold.